The word hydroponics comes from two Greek words, "hydro" meaning water and "ponics" meaning labor.
The concept of soil less gardening or hydroponics has been around for thousands of years. The hanging Gardens of Babylon and The Floating Gardens of China are two of the earliest examples of hydroponics. Scientists started experimenting with soil less gardening around 1950.
Since then other countries, such as Holland, Germany, and Australia have used hydroponics for crop production with amazing results.
Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, the method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent.
Terrestrial plants may be grown with only their roots exposed to the mineral solution, or the roots may be supported by an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel.
The nutrients in hydroponics can be from fish waste, chicken manure, or normal nutrients
Hydroponic agriculture is not limited by climate or by season. We can now grow virtually any plant at virtually any time all year round. Simple, effective hydroponic systems are now available.The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30-50 percent faster than a soil plant, however if coupled with modern horticultural lighting, provided by the Power Station - for FREE, this improves the growth factor of the plants, up to 50 - 70% faster than plans grown in soil.
Hydroponics is proved to have several advantages over soil gardening. The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30-50 percent faster than a soil plant, grown under the same conditions. The yield of the plant is also greater. Scientists believe that there are several reasons for the drastic differences between hydroponic and soil plants. The extra oxygen in the hydroponic growing mediums helps to stimulate root growth. Plants with ample oxygen in the root system also absorb nutrients faster. The nutrients in a hydroponic system are mixed with the water and sent directly to the root system. The plant does not have to search in the soil for the nutrients that it requires. Those nutrients are being delivered to the plant several times per day. The hydroponic plant requires very little energy to find and break down food. The plant then uses this saved energy to grow faster and to produce more fruit. Hydroponic plants also have fewer problems with bug infestations, funguses and disease. In general, plants grown hydroponically are healthier and happier plants.
Hydroponic gardening also offers several benefits to our environment. Hydroponic gardening uses considerably less water than soil gardening, because of the constant reuse the nutrient solutions. Due to lack of necessity, fewer pesticides are used on hydroponic crops. Since hydroponic gardening systems use no topsoil, topsoil erosion isn't even an issue. Although, if agricultural trends continue to erode topsoil and waste water, hydroponics may soon be our only solution.
Because as a result of the power station's process if burning a biofuel like bamboo, up to 10,000 litres an hour are recovered from the drying process. This water can be used to supply the hydroponics plant and the fish farm with water.
The Fish farm in turn can supply the hydroponics farm with all the nutrients it needs to grow the plants.
Additionally the residual ash from burning the bamboo created through the combustion of plant material, holds many of the elements needed to support new growth and has long been used by gardeners and farmers as a natural soil amendment.
Mixing wood ash with burnt bone material added to excess vegetable matter provided from the hydroponics farm and composted with manure, makes a high grade fertiliser. Practically for free.
This high grade fertiliser can be re-used by hydrating the fertiliser into a liquid form and used in the hydroponics farm. The excess fertiliser can be sold off to local farmers or back to the bamboo farmers.
This reduces the cost of vegetable production dramatically by a factor of 70%-90%.
As any farmer will tell you, fertiliser is expensive. 120 tonnes or 2400 50Kg bags a month will generate substantial turnover, and supply the hydroponics farm with free nutrients. (click on heading to find out how)
In an aquaponics system, the fish provide nutrients in the form of their "waste," or excrement. This waste contains nitrogen in the form of ammonia (too much of which can be toxic to fish), along with a variety of nutrients like phosphorus and potassium. Nitrifying bacteria that live in the gravel in the fish tank and on the tank walls convert the ammonia first into nitrites and then to nitrates. The water in the tank, which contains ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphorus, potassium, and other micronutrients, is continuously pumped to the hydroponics farm where the plants are located. The plants remove the nutrients from this water, and nitrifying bacteria in the grow bed (working together with the tank filter) clean the water by converting excess ammonia into nitrates, which plants use to grow. The clean water is then sent back into the fish farm. The grow bed and plants act as a biofilter, cleansing the water so that the fish remain healthy.
Run a Bamboo fired power station,- sell the electricity. Get free water to use in the Fish Farm and Hydroponics farm. Add an Animal Feedlot. Use the free fertiliser from bamboo ash from the power station, together with the trimmings from the plants composted with manure from the feedlot. Recycle the nutrient rich water from the fish farm.
You have a highly profitable winning recipe.
Nutrition experts confirm that fish farming has added extremely important nutritional benefits to many poor people’s diets. “Fish farming helps poorer communities to add high-value protein to their diet since Africa often suffers challenges of malnutrition.
However, the decreasing fish stocks in rivers and oceans across the world (due to global warming and environmental pollution) have severely affected fish supplies.
Fish is one of the cheapest sources of animal protein and the most widely accepted animal product in developing countries. It is heavily consumed across the various religious, ethnic and social lines that crisscross the many continents. With the growing awareness for healthy meats, fish is gradually gaining the upper hand in many kitchens and dishes. It has rapidly risen above its traditional reputation as a poor man’s protein to a healthier alternative to beef, chicken and pork.
As supply is unable to keep pace with the demand of an exploding population, fish and vegetables continue to attract higher prices in the market.
For many years, fish was the cheapest source of animal protein for many developing countries; nowadays, it has become almost as expensive as beef, chicken and turkey.
Vegetables are extremely expensive, and in short supply.
People who eat fruit and vegetables as part of their daily diet have a reduced risk of many chronic diseases. USDA's MyPlate encourages making half your plate fruits and vegetables. Vegetables are important part of healthy eating and provide a source of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E and C. Options like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and garlic provide additional benefits, making them a superfood! Potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Dietary fiber from vegetables helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease.
Hydroponic farms are unique in that they do not require any fertile soil. Indeed many of the world’s largest hydroponic farms are set up in the hot areas, deserts or unfertile soils around the world. Seeds are placed in a growing medium – which can be either solid or liquid – in trays made from plastic pipes. The advantage of this system is that nearly all of the nutrients poured into the growing medium are absorbed by the plant, making it exponentially more efficient and increasing productivity manifold. Lower costs equals higher profits
DRAIG have been providing combustion equipment and burner solutions across the World since 1951. The basic principles have remained the same whilst the designs have been modernised to deal with 21st Century fuel source requirements. Modern solutions to modern problems.
Growing Bamboo around each power station can provide hundreds of new employment opportunities in each area.
