INDOOR CROPS

Soilless

1 July, PGU.

Why is growing media important?

Growing medium - material where plants grow
Media

Provides nutrients by absorption through roots

Anchors plants
Contains pore spaces which provide oxygen for roots
Provides favorable environment for microorganisms

What are the different types of

growing media?
Soil
Thin layer of earths curst that provides for
growth of plants

Soilless medium
Contains no topsoil

Components of Growing Media

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Peat Moss- moisture and nutrients

Bark- substitution for peat moss
Sand- increases aeration and drainage
Perlite - increases aeration and drainage
Vermiculite- holds nutrients and moisture

Peat- lite mixes- common formulation of

soilless media

Bark-based mixes- commercially prepared

bark based mixes that are substituted for

sphagnum moss.

Perlite
Volcanic material
Provides drainage and
aeration

Vermiculite
Heat treated mica
Holds moisture

 Sterilized organic compounds

Loosen the medium
Create larger air spaces between the particles
Include:
- Peat Moss
- Sphagnum Moss
- Leaf Mold
- Bark

Peat Moss

Sphagnum Moss

Leaf Mold

Bark

Soilless Structures

Environmental conditions
Lighting
* In many climates it will be necessary to grow indoors under artificial lighting.

* This requires careful practice because it is difficult to replicate the

performance of sunlight.
* High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are a type of light that uses electric
arc to produce light, (ex: Metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps). Used
in a combination these two types of lamps can be a substitute for natural
sunlight.

 Ventilation

Is a key consideration
especially when
growing indoors under
artificial lighting. The
combination of lighting
and plants generates
excessive amounts of
heat and humidity
which will harm plants
if not properly
controlled.

 Irrigation systems and parameters pH and CF

Conductivity (EC) for hydroponics
Conductivity Meter
Device used to help monitor the concentration of nutrient solutions. (EC
meter, CF meter or TDS meter).
Conductivity represents the ease with which a solution conducts
electricity.
Solid substances known as 'salts' (e.g. sodium chloride, potassium nitrate),
yield 'ions' when dissolved in water. 'Ions' permit the flow of electricity
through the solution.

 Increasing the concentration of ions improves the ease with which

the solution carries an electric current and therefore causes a higher
conductivity.

Hence, an EC meter can be used to detect the presence of salts and

their approximate concentration in water.

Not all solutions or liquids conduct electricity

Ex: petrol, alcohol and distilled water.

pH measurement and control

To ensure the long-term stability of nutrient solutions, it is important to maintain
the pH between 5.0 and 6.5. This helps ensure all nutrients are available for root
up-take. It also minimizes the risk of plumbing blockages.

Optimum pH of nutrient solutions

The key reason for controlling the pH of nutrient solutions is to make sure that
the individual elements in the nutrient remain soluble.

If certain elements become insoluble, a white precipitate will form on the bottom
of the reservoir.

Hydroponics
The word hydroponics is comprised of two Greek words: hydro (water) and pono (labour)

Growing plants in a nutrient solution consisting of water and dissolved

nutrient salts.

Advantages
Complete control of nutrient solution
Greater yield per unit area through closer spacing of
plants
Less spreading of roots
Reduced need for control of weeds, disease, and
insects due to absence of soil

INDOOR CROPS HYDROPONICS

One of the most exciting challenges of indoor gardening is producing out of
season fruits and vegetables.

Change the way in which strawberries are grown in NZ. To obtain quality
plant and fruit production, under protective cultivation.

Fruit, A frame hydroponics, showing root system of Camarosa strawberries, Dural NSW

Hydroponic systems are classified according to:

Substrate systems
Sand culture- plants grown in sterilized sand with
individual drip irrigation
Gravel culture- involves irrigating plants grown in
gravel for mechanical support.

Bag culture- uses plastic bags that are filled with

substrate, such as rockwool, peatlite, and sawdust.

Drip irrigation used to supply nutrient solution.

rockwool

Cocotek mat

Bare root systems

Aeroponic system
Involves plant roots suspended in air with a fine mist
of oxygen-rich nutrient solution sprayed on them a
regular intervals.

Continuous flow system

Involves using shallow pools with panels containing
plants floating on the surface

Flood & Drain (or Ebb & Flow)

In flood & drain systems, the nutrient is fed from beneath. This
process floods the root zone to a pre-determined maximum level
after which all the nutrient is allowed to drain back into the reservoir.

This process is controlled by a pump, timer and a specialized inlet

and overflow device:

Inlet: This also serves as the drain outlet. It is positioned as close

as possible to the base of the flood & drain tray. Once pumping
stops, the nutrient is able to fully drain into the reservoir via the inlet
and pump.
Overflow: This is positioned at the maximum desired flood height.
This means pumping can only flood to the height of the overflow.
Suitable media for flood & drain include expanded clay, perlite or
even none at all. The water holding capacity of the medium
determines the feeding frequency.

Advantages to Flood & Drain systems

The flooding action helps prevent salt build-up in the root zone and
achieves uniform root zone pH and conductivity.
Flooding purges stale (oxygen deficient) air from the root zone. Drainage
draws fresh air back into the medium.
Flooding can enhance the penetration of disinfectants throughout the root
zone.

Disadvantages to Flood & Drain systems

If no medium is used, pump failure can result in plant death within a few
hours, especially in hot weather.

- Nutrient film technique (NFT)

NFT provides no medium support for roots.
Typically, roots sit in a long sloping irrigation channel.
Nutrient is introduced at the high end of the channel and allowed to flow
over the roots after which it drains into a nutrient reservoir. It is then
re-pumped back into the channel to repeat the watering process.

This feed cycle can be intermittent or continuous.

Basic design requirements for NFT are:

Channels need suitable slope for drainage (i.e. gradient 1:40).
Channels must be wide and deep enough to comfortably
accommodate the plants mature root system.

Undersized channels can become choked with roots which can lead
to damming, overflowing or create stagnant areas that fail to drain
fully.

The last plant should be positioned well upstream of the drains

outlet so that roots do not block the drain.

Growth problems can occur as the channel length increases. Plants

at the head of these long channels often perform better than those
at the outlet end.

The threshold length will depend on factors such as the type of plant
being grown and the nutrient strength.

Advantages to NFT
Lower water and nutrient consumption.
Avoids the supply, disposal and cost problems associated with
media based systems.

Relatively easy to disinfect roots and hardware compared to other

system types.

The absence of medium makes it easy to inspect roots for signs of

disease, feed adequacy, etc.

Regular feeding (and associated flushing) prevents localised salt

build-up in the root zone and maintains uniform root zone pH and
conductivity.

Environmentally friendly, minimal potential for localised

groundwater contamination.

Disadvantages to NFT
Pump failure can result in plant death within a few hours, especially
in hot weather.

Not suitable for plants with large tap-root systems (e.g. carrots).
Compared to run-to-waste systems, it is less suitable for saline
(salty) waters because the salinity of the recirculating water
gradually increases.

 Support beds structure

 Nutrition
The grower has the complete control over the implementation of

various types of fertiliser including the type, concentration and the

pH of the nutrient solution.

The pH , temperature and EC/CF of the nutrient solution should be

monitored, and the solution should be replaced to ensure successful

hydroponic production.

Pests
It is commonly assumed that hydroponic agriculture
systems are relatively free of insect pests and plant
diseases because the technology is mostly enclosed.
this is not true.

Pest populations can increase with alarming speed in

greenhouses because of the lack of natural
environmental checks.

Check foliage and roots regularly for signs of pests (and

diseases). Problems can multiply rapidly if left
unattended

 Whiteflies:
There are about 1,200 different species of whiteflies. They are pests in
many important agricultural and horticultural crops, both inside and outside
the greenhouse environment.

Spider mites (2 spotted mite):

Tiny spiders appear on the plant as pinhead sized yellowish spots. They feed
on sap and their presence is indicated by plants generally looking sick. They
cause mottling of leaves that eventually turn brown and fall off. The
formation of tiny webs indicates the problem is well advanced.

Aphids:
Pear shaped body typically ~2mm long; can be any colour. They suck sap
from leaves causing leaves to curl.

 Thrips
Appear 1-3mm long with hairy wings. They feed off plant sap causing
damage to manifest as patches or streaks on the leaves.

Scales
Brown, oval and hard-bodied. They suck sap from leaves and stems.

Thank you!

Glossary
- CFL: Acronym for "compact fluorescent.Chlorosis: The yellowing or whitening of normally green plant tissue because of a decreased amount of
chlorophyll
CO2: Chemical symbol for carbon dioxide.
- Conductivity: EC.
- Ground water: Under-ground water deposit e.g. artesian bore.
- Hardness (or hard).
- HID: Acronym for "high intensity discharge lamp.
- HPS: Acronym for "high pressure sodium" lamp.
- Make-up water: Water used during the process of making a fresh batch of nutrient solution.
- MH: Acronym for "metal halide" lamp.
- Mottling: Spots or blotches of different shades or colours commonly found on leaves.
- mS: Short-hand representation of "mS/cm".
- Natural water: Water supply that is uncontaminated by pollution.
- Necrosis: Death of plant cells resulting in dead/brown spots on foliage.
- NFT: Acronym for "nutrient film technique".
- Nutrient solution: The diluted nutrient that is fed to plants. It is usually comprised of a nutrient
concentrate, water and nutrient additives. For the purpose of clarity, the nutrient solution is sometimes
referred to as the "working nutrient solution".

- O2: Chemical symbol for oxygen.

- Oxidizing agents: For the purpose of this book, this term is used to describe substances
which attack organic material such as bacteria and viruses.
- PGR: Acronym for "plant growth regulator".
- ppm: Acronym for "parts per million. ppm has the same meaning or numerical value as
mg/L.
- Precipitate (or precipitation): Insoluble solid deposit that forms within a nutrient solution
or water which eventually sinks to bottom of reservoir or adheres to sidewalls.
- Recirculating nutrient (or recirculating system): The process (or system) where the
working nutrient solution is recirculated.
- Respiration (or respire).
- RH: Acronym for "relative humidity".
- RO: Acronym for "reverse osmosis".
- Run-to-waste: Type of growing system or method.
- Saline (or salinity / salty): A water that contains excessive salt levels - usually sodium
chloride.
- Scheme water: Water supply provided by a local authority.
- Surface water: Above-ground water deposit e.g. river, stream, lake, dam, soak.
- TDS: Acronym for "total dissolved salts".
- Top-up water: Extra water added to a nutrient solution to increase the dilution factor or
maintain a desired level.
- Transpiration (or transpire)
- Wilt (or wilting): The drying out, drooping, and withering of the leaves of a plant due to
inadequate water supply, excessive transpiration, or vascular disease.
- Working nutrient solution: See "nutrient solution".