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U.K., and is intended to serve as a light hearted first look at starting your own
commercial hydroponics farm. If you have any further questions after reading the
article, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange for you to come down
to a fully functioning hydroponic farm to get a real taster of what living and
working within the industry is really like.
Commercial Hydroponics
INTRODUCTION
. yeah sure but where do you put the soil?
Before we get into the planning stage, it would help if we had a little knowledge
of what hydroponics (or hydrophonics as my bank manager keeps refereeing it
to), is all about. Growing plants without soil is a difficult concept for some people
to grasp. Recently I spent several hours taking prospective clients through our
greenhouse to be greeted towards the end of the tour by yeah sure,but
where do you put the soil?
From the start, I do not believe there are any expert hydroponic
specialists/professionals, as we would know them. All of us associated with
the industry generally rely on other para horticultural experts to contribute to
the holistic application of hydroponics in a commercial sense. By para
horticultural experts, I am referring to professionals working within more
commonly identified fields such as microbiologists, agricultural chemists,
botanists etc. While my association with the hydroponic industry spans a
mere 12 years, it has been very intense hands on experience. My view of its
present state is based on this close association during a time when significant
advances are occurring on a regular, if not daily basis. Commercial
hydroponics is in reality, a fledgling industry where unlike other well
established industries, advances are sometimes measured in millimeters, the
hydroponic industry is on the other hand, developing at a rapid rate.
Despite the traditional farmers concept of farming ie. soil is the basis of all
farming, they are now slowly with a little kicking and screaming, coming to
accept that there are significant advantages and benefits, related to farming
hydroponically. The advances we see in hydroponics are not only based on the
contributions made by the traditional experts, but also by the individual
hydroponic farmer whos innovative prowess never ceases to amaze me. Given
the lack of information that was available in the past, the people who made the
decision to venture into hydroponics on a commercial basis, where those people
who would normally have taken chances, and as such, would generally have
been innovative by nature. Now, given the availability of information, the chance
factor has to a great deal been removed. In addition to the farmers now willing to
share their experiences with others, these innovations have also contributed to
the over-all advancement of the industry.
Given the above, I will not be going into the micro elements of hydroponics, as
this is not my area of expertise. Information at this level should be obtained
from those qualified in these specialized areas.
So, why hydroponics?
Hydroponics produces a greater yield over a shorter period in a smaller area than
traditionally grown crops. Commercially, hydroponics has proven to be the most
cost-effective method of growing a wide variety of crops. Used widely throughout
Australia, Canada, Europe, the USA and NZ, hydroponics has greatly reduced the
use of large areas of often unrewarding and chemically enriched land. However,
hydroponic farmers both prospective and existing, must avoid bad practices,
which have seen similar soil damage occur by hydroponic farmers, utilizing dripto-waste systems.
Hydroponics has an opportunity to lead the way on ecological issues. Systems
must be designed to either recycle the nutrient or collect it for appropriate waste
disposal. This can be done by either giving or selling the nutrient where it can be
most beneficial. For example, one farmer in Victoria Australia supplies his waste
nutrient to a local golf course. Approach your local government, here it can be
sprayed over large areas such as parks and gardens, enhancing field grass
growth. Drip-to-waste farmers in most countries have been advised that their
current practice of letting the waste nutrient leach into the ground under the
plants will become a thing of the past. Keep this fact in mind when you are
planning your system. Another significant benefit, is the reduction of pesticides
used to control adverse pests and pathogens. Generally, the crop is protected and
being intensive i.e. large crop small area, the use of tractors and diesel etc, is
markedly reduced, resulting in a decrease in capital expenditure and on-going
costs.
What else? Hydroponics offers growers an income from land that is often
unforgiving, overworked or adversely affected by unpredictable weather. There
are numerous commercial farms worldwide, utilizing land for which it should
never have been intended. These farmers generally survive on government
subsidies. The dairy industry in Australia is a classic example of dairy farmers
being subsidized to produce milk in areas where sheep grazing would have been a
better option. With respect to hydroponics, is that the issue of suitable soil or land
is not relevant. This point is clear when we observe commercial hydroponic
farming of tomatos in the USA, on the Texas/Mexican borderdesert country! If
we take it to the extreme, what about commercial hydroponic lettuce and herb
crops (for the gourmet market), grown on roof tops in Thailand and Hong Kong,
using nutrient film technique (NFT).
On many farms, plant production is maintained all year by the use of
environmentally controlled greenhouses. As a result, controlled hydroponic
systems, allow the grower to market his crop when the market demand is at its
highest. Consistency, in both quality and supply give the hydroponic farmer a
significant edge over his more traditional counterpart.
Contrary to popular belief, chemicals are not used to promote growth in a
nutrient sense. The nutrient used in hydroponics is made up of the same trace
elements found in soil. These refined elements are mixed with water and fed to
the plants by a variety of methods. Crop specific formulas are now available in
pre-packed form, and widely used depending upon the type of plant being grown.
Many farmers still formulate their own nutrient mix having over the years
developed a recipe which suits there particular crop and local environment. More
on this later.
By simply following the basic rules and BEST PRACTICE, farmers worldwide are
supporting markets impressed with the reliability, quality, and the wide range of
produce, provided by hydroponic systems. Hydroponics is a simply method of
growing plants without soil. Big statement! Simple on paper, but like many small
businesses the attrition rate is no different with hydroponics. The recipe for
avoiding disaster is by thorough planning. Other than that, the same diligence
required to produce a marketable plant is no different than that care given by
successful traditional farmers. Where farmers go wrong, can in most cases be
And remember, be prepared for the worst, as even the best-laid plans can be
rendered useless by unpredictable and inclement weather.
Your water supply
OK. We have decided on the crop we would like to grow, and successfully
negotiated terms with a local market. Regardless of where you would like to build
a system, the most important factor above all is having an all year, regardless of
the season, quality water supply. I have been on farms with dams big enough to
sail the Queen Mary on yet they were unable to use a drop. Many farms have
bores, but in many cases either the calcium or salt levels have been too high.
Moderate levels of calcium and unwanted salts can be removed with water
purification equipment, which can be very expensive. That is not to say that some
dam and bore water cant be used. Depending on the level of contamination,
some crops such as tomatoes, capsicum and cucumbers will tolerate a lot harder
water than say lettuce and herbs. Heres a simple rule, if you cant drink the
water, neither can your plants. Where possible, build where town water is
available. Not only do you have a consistent supply, the quality is generally good.
The environment you wish to grow in.
What will largely dictate what you can grow, is the local environment. This not
only applies to climatic conditions but the topography as well. You may have
quality water, suitable climatic conditions, but the land itself may not be suitable.
Remember our herb grower with the mining license? Look for relatively flat land,
using climbing equipment to get from the pump house to the greenhouse etc, is
not an option. Where possible, look for protection from the wind. Dont build
where large earth movements are required. Not only is it very expensive, you
would have to allow considerable time for the soil to settle before footings could
be considered sound. Avoid large trees that will not only cast shadows over the
greenhouse, but also allow debris to puncture the skin. Also, avoid areas that are
prone to flooding.
Climatically controlled greenhouses will on many occasions, allow you to have a
fairly extensive selection in what you may wish to grow, but keep in mind the setup and running cost can be extremely high. In cooler climates, try and select
crops that dont require artificial light or heating. When deciding what to grow in
our greenhouse, we selected herbs, in particular coriander, as it does not require
heat, and there is sufficient light for us to grow during the winter months. Had we
chosen tomatoes, we would have to have installed an expensive heating system.
You could argue that the premium price for tomatoes during the winter months
would offset the fuel, labour, transport, and maintenance costs. This is not always
the case, and after looking at both scenarios, for us, and our situation,
tomatoes came in a poor second.
Choose your site carefully, and where possible seek the advice of existing local
growers (dont forget the bullet proof vest), or a qualified consultant. Its not
always smooth sailing, and even with careful planing things can still go wrong. We
lost the roof off our greenhouse on three occasions. We did our homework and
built on a gentle slope on the leeward side of a hill. However, a combination of
extremely high winds and the fact that the roof had not been put on properly (not
guilty), saw one windy night, half of our twin skin 1,000 square meter
greenhouse all of a sudden became a single skin greenhouse! Of course Murphys
Law was applied, as at that time I was overseas and my dear wife and the local
SES spent several hours in the middle of the night trying to prevent the rest of
the greenhouse tacking off to starboard. Needless to say, the next time the wind
blew the other half came off, and yes, I was away from home again! You dont
need to hear about the third occasion, suffice to say the new roof is well secured.
There were two lessons we learnt, one being not to trust the agent who sold us
the land and told us the local climate conditions were nothing extraordinaryever
heard of the mutton bird winds? well that another story. Talk to the locals, as
they will give you the best advice on local weather conditions. The second lesson
was to be more vigilant in overseeing contracted work. If you are in doubt ask!!!
And where possible select reputable suppliers. More on equipment in a later
article.
The growing system
There are three main commercial hydroponic systems in use today. They are NFT
(Nutrient Film Technique), Drip systems and Flood & Drain. By far the most
versatile is the NFT system which is widely used throughout the world for
commercial crops of tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, capsicum, cucumbers, strawberries
and many others. According to GCRI UK report The fact is that NFT is still the
most cost effective hydroponic system and still grows the highest yield of crops
such as tomatoes (Ref: Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses, Best Of. 1998-99).
While NFT may be the most cost effective, that is not to say that the other
systems do not have their place. Drips systems have now been designed where
the nutrient can be recycled. Previously drip systems were drip-to-waste where
the nutrient was lost to the ground. This has led to a build up of salts in the soil
rendering it useless. More importantly, this waste nutrient has in may areas
entered the under ground water table, contaminating fresh water supplies, or
leaching into freshwater streams and rivers. Governments in many counties are
now passing legislation to prevent this practice, and have given notice and/or
advice to current growers to change or modify their systems.
Flood and Drain systems may be the least popular, but are still widely used by
farmers who get results. The Flood and Drain system requires additional
attention to the oxygenation of the nutrient. Essentially it is considered a passive
system whereby the nutrient floods the receptacle holding the plants. Apart from
the nutrient entering the system, there is little movement around the plant other
than an ebb and flow effect, as opposed to the constant movement and
subsequent aeration of nutrient passing the root mass in the drip and NFT
systems. It is essential in these systems to utilize active aeration units.
If we look at the mainstream crops, the majority of lettuce and herbs are now
grown using the NFT system. While strawberries appear more suited to a medium
based drip recycling system, they to can be grown successfully using NFT. There
are also crops such as herbs, that are not only highly suited to NFT but because
they can be regularly harvested, are ideal for medium (perlite/vermiculite) based
systems. The majority of hydroponic tomatoes are still grown using the drip
system, but recent times have seen a change to NFT as the myths associated
with disease problems have proven to be just that, myths! Improved hygiene
standards have seen a huge reduction in disease with a complementary increase
in yield. More details on these myths can be found in Dr. Allen Coopers book, the
ABC of NFT. One of the most obvious benefits of NFT is the huge saving in
nutrient costs, in addition to savings on medium replacement, and labor costs as
the crop turn around time is significantly reduced.
Despite the above, there are hydroponic farmers out there who have been
growing in systems contrary to what I have said, and who are very successful.
The evidence I give is based on my own practical experience as a grower, from R
& D, and common practice in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
Crop management.
Dont cheat! There are basic rules you must never break, as the consequences
can be disastrous. Common sense, vigilance, and adherence to the set
often unpredictable problems. Otherwise you may have to visit your bank outside
of office hours.
Lifestyle
9 to 5, forget it! From the start, it is in most cases a job that will require your
attention for 365 days of the year. While some days will only require the checking
of systems, someone should close on hand to fix that broken pipe or start up the
APU when the power fails. Someone has to be in reasonably close attendance,
and in most cases initially that will be you. Later, when and if you expand your
business, you can delegate an employee to be on call when youre out socializing.
However, the husband and wife operating a 1,000 1,500 square meter green
house need to be on hand, or be prepared for the unpredictable. Dont forget the
kids, they need a life too.
The working conditions can be very enjoyable to close encounters with hell!
During the winter months while it is cool, your are protected from the wind and
rain, however, working in a green house in 50+ degree heat can have you
searching for the matches. Early starts are not uncommon especially in summer
during harvesting periods. While Tomatoes have a heavier workload than lettuce
and herbs, there are periods of little activity other than system checks while the
plants are maturing prior to harvesting. Lettuce and herbs on the other hand
require constant attention as the turn around period during summer can be as
little as 17 days. There are no sick days, if the harvest is due, you harvest.
Maintain a sense of humour, it really helps. There was an occasion when I
dropped a thermometer into our nutrient tank. The tank is level with the ground
and I laid on my stomach and lent through the hole to try and retrieve it. At that
time I was in the process of changing solutions and the level was fairly low. So
there I was, from the waist up and headfirst down in the tank stretching out to
pick up the thermometer just a little furtherOOPS! I had gone past the point of
no return. That is, I was more in the tank than out of it, and I couldnt reach the
bottom and at the same time had nothing to grab hold of to get out. I spent the
next ten minutes or so howling to no one to get me out of here!!. Sharon was
in the green house and thought she heard some distant noises but pressed on
with her planting. A short time later she left to get more seedlings, and on leaving
the greenhouse heard my muted cries for help. On inspection she observed a pair
of legs waving at her from the tank. Needless to say (after suppressing hysterical
laughter), she came to my rescue, I popped out of the tank red as a cherry and
swatting at these little white things flying around my head. Of course there was
nothing there, including Sharon who had suddenly disappeared. I found her in the
seedling shed trying to stop laughing.
My turn came when two Christmases ago we had just completed the morning
chores. Sharon was dressed up a treat, as we were on our way to have Christmas
diner with the relatives. One last check of the greenhouse. We were just walking
out, and one of the feeder pipes to a herb bench next to Sharon came off. Like a
Saturn rocket, a vertical spurt of cold water shot straight up her dressI kid you
not...well in short there she was, like a drowned rat desperately trying to put the
pipe back on and soaked to the skin. I didnt laugh of coursenot then anyway.
Stress is an integral part of the business, it just depends on all those
unpredictable elements as to what level it reaches. Know now, that
there will be high and lows, and the best advice I can give relative
to the business as a whole, is be prepared, and never be afraid to
admit you dont know.
Good Luck.