Nowadays, food-growing techniques depend heavily on pes cides and chemicals, which

nega vely impact the water and soil. Water and soil pollu on, along with large-scale
deple on of the topsoil, speed up climate change. Phenomena related to it are affec ng
the ability of the land to grow crops, leading to worldwide food shortages. In recent years,
agricultural prac ces have seen a major shi towards sustainable food-growing methods,
including permaculture, crop rota on, polyculture, and hydroponic farming. We take a
look at the la er and analyse its poten al benefits and disadvantages.

What Is Hydroponic Farming

Stemming from the Greek words “hydro” (water) and “ponos” (labour), hydroponics literally
means “water working”.

The term essen ally refers to a method of growing crops without soil. This may sound
counterintui ve since plants derive essen al nutrients for their growth from the soil,
without which they could possibly die. Hydroponic plants, however, get all the required
nutrients from a water solu on medium, hence the presence of soil becomes unnecessary
to its survival.

One of the major benefits of hydroponic farming is that this method can be used in small- as
well as large-scale se ngs. People who do not have a large space, such as those that live in
apartments or those that do not have a garden, can successfully use hydroponics to grow
plants.

Although hydroponics is gaining posi ve trac on among growers for providing a sustainable
way of cul va ng food, there are some plants that do not grow properly in a hydroponic
se ng. These include those that have deep roots, like potatoes, plants that grow tall, and
vines.

How Does Hydroponic Farming Work?

For a plant to grow, three things are crucial: sunlight, water, and nutrients. In a tradi onal
se ng, plants are grown in the soil, which acts as a medium through which they get the
required nutrients and water. Hydroponic plants get all the essen al nutrients through a
solu on that reaches the roots via different types of equipment.

Types of Hydroponic Farming

Two systems of growing dominate a hydroponic se ng:

Ac ve System

An ac ve system is where the roots of the plants have direct access to nutrients via a water
solu on circulated through pumps. This system is more intricate, so some growers might
find it complicated. The ac ve system uses pumps that move the nutrient solu on from a
reservoir to the roots. The excess solu on that the roots can’t absorb travels back into the
reservoir.

Passive System

A passive system does not require a pump to circulate the solu on. Instead, the plants are
suspended in the solu on which then reaches the roots via different methods that rely on
gravity, flooding, or capillary systems. This type of hydroponic farming is easy to employ
since no pumps are involved.

The farmer, however, is required to change the water frequently. Moreover, the absence of
pumps makes it easier for algae to grow, which could degrade the water quality.

Advantages of Hydroponic Farming

Hydroponics is an effec ve system for growing plants, and in the coming future, it is likely to
be one of the most useful sustainable ways of food produc on. Some of its main benefits
include:

1. Producing High-Quality Food for Higher Popula on

In a hydroponic se ng, growers do not use pes cides because there is less risk of pest
infesta on thanks to the indoor loca on. In addi on, plants get the required nutrients
directly in a solu on, which allows them to develop faster and free from diseases. Not only is
the produce good quality but the hydroponic setup can cater to higher popula on in the city
areas, meaning availability of local food within the ci es.

2. Reduced Water Consump on

Hydroponic farming uses very li le water as compared to conven onal agriculture. Much of
that is because the water solu on is reused and recirculated through the pipes in a
hydroponic se ng. The excess water is then taken back to the nutrient solu on reservoir.
This makes hydroponics a good farming technique in areas with water shortage due to
droughts.

Contrarily in conven onal farming, a large amount of water is used, much of which is lost
due to evapora on and poor irriga on. In the end, only a ny percentage of water reaches
the plants.

3. Reduced Rate of Pest And Fungus

Hydroponics does not need soil to grow plants, reducing the instances of soil-borne
diseases. Addi onally, since this farming technique is done indoors and everything is in a
controlled setup, the chances of pest infesta ons are much lower.

4. Improved Yield

Hydroponics provides a controlled and monitored environment for plants to grow.

Addi onally, directly supplying the roots with the required nutrients helps them to grow
faster.

The indoor se ng also posi vely affects the yield since growers do not have to rely on
seasons. This means that crops can be grown all year round, without having to lose crops to
external factors like pest infesta on, weather changes, and trouble from animals and birds
on the ground.

5. Op mal Use of Area/Regional Diversity

One of the best advantages of hydroponic farming is that it saves space. In tradi onal
agriculture, plants are required to search for nutrients in the soil, due to which plants grow
deeper roots.

In hydroponics, on the other hand, the nutrients are directly supplied to the roots, so they
don’t have to search for them. Plants with less dense roots take up less space making
hydroponics an ideal choice for city dwellers living in closed areas, desert prone areas, and
extremely cold regions too.

Hydroponics farming allows for efficient use of nutrients because the en re se ng is

controlled and the plants are provided with just the required amount of macro and micro
nutrients.
By providing op mum nutrients required for the growth, plants grown through hydroponics
are known to achieve be er yield and high growth rate as compared to the plants grown
through tradi onal farming where the plants are dependent on the nutrients present in the
soil that are dependent on different environmental parameters.

For example, varia on in humidity and temperature and water quality can place plants
under stress poten al affec ng their biochemical make affec ng the growth and the quality
of the produce.

6. Time Saving System

Tradi onal farming requires a lot of effort and me from the farmers to oversee lling,
weeding, watering, and fumiga ng; and all that in return to a yield that might not always be
sufficient or sa sfactory in terms of quality and quan ty.

Contrarily, in hydroponics, all you need is to set it up in your preferred space and watch your
plants grow. This may require ini al investment and me but, if managed well, this
guarantees long-term high returns.

Disadvantages of Hydroponic Farming

Hydroponic farming, when compared to conven onal agriculture, is easier and more
effec ve. However, like with any good thing, hydroponic farming also has some drawbacks.

1. High Set-Up Cost

Se ng up a hydroponic system is expensive. This is especially true for a large-scale system
that uses a customised design.

Based on the automa on and technology being used for se ng up of the hydroponic
system, the ini al installa on of things including water treatment plant, nutrient tank,
ligh ng, air pump, reservoir, temperature controller, EC, acidity control, and plumbing
systems can require a huge ini al budget.

2. Reliance On Constant Power Supply/System

The hydroponic farming system relies heavily on electricity to con nuously work its various
components. If there is a power outage, the en re system is at risk of failing, which can
nega vely impact the plants.

Although new genera on farms like Bowery Farming are using solar powered hydroponic
systems, indoor ver cal hydroponic gardens where the solar energy is used as the main
power supply there are s ll challenges about ini al opera onal costs to maintain the
electrical source con nuity. While the use of renewable sources of energy is definitely on
the rise, the dependency on fossil energy s ll remains as a disadvantage.

3. High-Level Maintenance & Monitoring

Different components in a hydroponic system work together to allow for the smooth supply
of nutrients to the plants. To avoid failure of any of these components, growers need to be
highly vigilant.

Constant monitoring is required to check whether the pumps are working correctly or if the
temperature and light are adequate.

4. Suscep bility to Waterborne Diseases

While growing plants in a hydroponic system helps reducing the risk of soil-borne diseases,
the con nuous circula on of water through the system puts the plants at risk of contrac ng
some waterborne diseases.

Some mes, these diseases are carried by the water solu on from one plant to the rest. This
can poten ally destroy all the plants in the system.

5. Requires Special Exper se

There are a lot of technicali es involved in a hydroponic system. The equipment and
techniques involved in the system need someone with proper knowledge and exper se on
how to use them. The plants will likely not grow without the appropriate exper se, which
can affect the yield nega vely causing heavy loss.

6. Debatable Nature of Organic Labels

Since hydroponic farming does not use pes cides, can that be reason enough to cer fy
hydroponic plants as organic? Some organic farmers are against this idea since organic
farming involves working towards making the soil quality be er and improving its fer lity.

Since a hydroponic system doesn’t use soil, giving them the organic cer ficate is wrong.
However, the Ninth Circuit Court on Thursday ruled in favour of USDA allowing
hydroponically produced plants to be cer fied organic, provided they are free from chemical
fer lisers, GMOs, and sewage.

Final Thoughts

Hydroponic farming is an effec ve method of growing plants indoors, and has its own
benefits in various ways. It helps growers produce nutrient-rich plants much faster without
the use of pes cides.

Although it does come with certain disadvantages, its benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
With proper knowledge and use of renewable sources of energy, individuals, firms, and
communi es can use hydroponics to grow disease-free plants all year round