QUESTION
In this essay we learn about intensive forms of hydroponically and aeroponic-based agriculture which is done in controlled environment. Building components that allow plants to grow in medium and high environment help their optimum growth. Controlled environment techniques demand good knowledge of horticulture, engineering and plant psychology. Besides, it also requires a wide range of skills to successful establish a commercial setup of a controlled environment setup.
Local production in controlled environment setup needs considerable energy inputs for heating, venting and supplemental lighting. Studies indicate that non-solar energy needed to grow and transport fresh produce is equivalent to local production within controlled environment setup.
Therefore, we study about different aspects and cost involved in setting up a intensive controlled environment facility using different techniques
SOLUTION
Controlled Environment Agriculture
(Albright, L.D. 1990) Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is a system that enables growing plants at a level of sophistication incorporating environment control, which includes controlling temperature, air movement, light, carbon dioxide and humidity. The set up enables mechanism and automation where attention is given to plant quality, timing and quantity. The purpose of CEA is to avoid any imposed stress on the plant to achieve full genetic growth of the plant and its full production potential. In the setup, both aerial and root environments are controlled and monitored, and energy use is optimized. The most standard technique to grow plants with controlled environment setup is “hydroponic system”. Hydroponic systems are most used with greenhouses, because they require lesser involvement of technology and controls.
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without the use of natural soil. It is commonly used for the production of leafy vegetables and herbs grown in controlled environment settings. (Dalrymple, D.G. 1973) Hydroponics in combination with greenhouses can be highly technology and capital intensive. Hydroponics technique involves regulating the aerial and root environment and production is done inside the enclosures designed to control the root and air temperature along with light, nutrition and bad climate. Since hydroponic allow growing plants without soil it eliminates the risk of soil-borne diseases (Massantini, F. 1976). There are many types of hydroponic systems and different designs of greenhouse structures. Hydroponics is a technology that gives nutrient solutions in growing plants with or without the use of sand, gravel or other farming tools. In temperate regions all hydroponic systems are used within greenhouses to provide temperature control. The major advantage of use hydroponic CEA is that includes high-density optimum crop production, without having to use soil. It also leads to indifference to ambient temperature and season. Besides, it also enables more efficient use of irrigation and fertilizers within less land area. Hydroponics completely eliminates the costly and time-consuming tasks of soil sterilization.
Cost Involved in CEA Hydroponic Setup
There are also certain disadvantages associated with hydroponics. It requires higher cost and energy inputs as compared to open-field agriculture. Besides, it is not a simple technique but requires expertise and special skills in order to control it successfully to yield maximum yield of good quality. If greenhouse structure is artificially heated and cooled by fan and pad system to control the environment, the cost of setting up hydroponic system could be excessively high. Involvement of high costs and hi-tech requirement limits the use of hydroponics to limited regions and crops of high economic value.
Plants That Can Be Best Grown With Hydroponics
Considering the high cost, energy input and technology setup involved in hydroponics, various studies have found that system is not viable for all the crops are regions. It shall only be applied better at commercial set up with a few crops of greater economic value. Moreover, in order to use with greenhouse structure, it also requires additional control and monitoring system, which again adds to costs. Therefore it is concluded from various studies that only high-quality, garden-type vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce et cetera can prove beneficial being grown with controlled environment and hydroponic system. Supporting the finding is the fact that in United States alone any hydroponic CEA food crops are grown in the world. In Europe and Japan, vegetables, eggplant, herbs and peepers are grown with hydroponic system but only on commercial levels. Deep Flow Hydroponic system is considerer most viable for growing leafy vegetables and herbs. Deep flow hydroponic system is a process for growing heads of lettuce and other leafy vegetables on a floating raft. (Jensen,M.H. and Collins 1985)
Conclusion
Development and growth of controlled environment agriculture depends greatly on the development of cost-effective techniques and systems to give less expensive alternative to open field agriculture.
References:
Albright, L.D. 1990. Environmental Control for Animals and Plants, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan.
Dalrymple, D.G. 1973. Controlled Environment Agriculture: A global view of greenhouse food production, USDA, Foreign Agriculture Economic Report, No. 89.
Jensen MH and Collins WL (1985) Hydroponic vegetable production. Hort. Review 7, 483-558.
Massantini F (1976) Floating hydroponics; A method of soilless culture, 91-98. In Proc. 4th Intn. Congress on Soilless Culture, Las Palmas, Canary Island, Spain.
KH04
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