Benefits of Hydroponic System

Farming is an activity essential in human life, because it produces the main need of
human: food. Generally, farmers farm in rice fields. Recently, the areas of farming are getting
cramped; they are modified to be living areas. Of course, it is bad for the production of food
will be declining. In overcoming this phenomenon, people develop a new farming system
called Hydroponics. Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, the method of growing
plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent (Wikipedia). This
farming system is more advantageous than traditional farming system.

The first benefit of hydroponic farming system is that it does not need a lot of space.
Space for farming, nowadays, is hard to find. It is modified to become apartments or
mansions. Moreover, as the demand of entertainment increases, now people build many
playgrounds and shopping centers. As a result, farming lands are rarely found. Besides, the
lands are not fertile as it used to be. So, hydroponics is the solution for it does not need soil to
grow. People only need 6 PVC, a stand and trellis made of small PVC, a 50-gallon nutrient
tank, a pump, and a manifold. One 6 PVC with the length of 2 meter can be designed for six
plants with the distance 15 cm one to another. Therefore, there will be sixty plants for ten
PVCs which take 1.5 meter land. Furthermore, people can design the structure become up to
six-line high structure. The result will be the same with planting 3 meter x 1 meter plants in
traditional system.

Hydroponics system is beneficial through thrift watering system. It uses less water,
comparing to traditional farming system. For example, farmers planting plants in 3 m x 1 m
land need 100 litres of water a week; but for hydroponic plants they need only 10 litres, even
though it is 6 row-high system. It is because in traditional farming system, the water will
spread on the ground; so it needs much water. While in hydroponics, water is channelled
directly to the plants, meaning that there is no wasted water; so it makes the use of water is
thrifty. Hydroponics needs less fertilizer as well. Fertilizer functions to fertile the soil. It is
used by farmer when the soil contains too much acid or when the soil has low pH. As the
function of fertilizer is substituted by nutrient solution with more complete substance and
given in appropriate portion, hydroponics allows less use of fertilizer.

The next benefit is the plants planted in hydroponics are resistant to pests. Pests are
insects or small animals which are harmful or which damage crops (Cambridge Advanced
Learners Dictionary 3rd Edition). Most pests are found in soil such as cockroaches, bugs,
grasshoppers, etc. Not only that, threats for plants can be weeds and virus taken along by
blowing wind. For those coming from the soil, they will not be able to event reach
hydroponic plants for hydroponics uses the nutritive solution directly channelled to the
plants. So the condition will remain clean, including the root. For another which attacks
plants stems and leaves, it can be controlled by covering the areas using nets and plastics.

The most important advantage is that hydroponics produces outcome much more
better than traditional farming system. Hydroponics uses no chemical fertilizer; thats what
makes it safer. Moreover, it is set in clean areas which results healthy and hygienic plants.
Beside the health aspect, the advantage can be seen from economical aspect. The good
products surely give the owner benefit by providing good prices. Comparing to the traditional
farming system products, the hydroponic products will be worth 2 or 3 times higher. They
will not be doubted by consumers for they have good qualities.

In spite of these advantages, people consider that hydroponics can only be used to
grow limited variety of plants. It is true that commonly people use hydroponics to grow
vegetables and flowers. But keep in mind that hydroponics does not always use PVC pipe as
its medium. There is a system called wick system which uses pots and coco coir as its
planting medium. Coco coir is a medium from outer husk of coconut. Even though it is an
organic material, but it breaks down and decomposes very slowly, so it will not provide any
nutrients to the plants growing on it. Besides, it also has neutral pH, holds moisture very well,
and allows good aeration for root. Moreover, scientists have developed fruits with the stems
height not more than 5 meters. The species being developed are guava, orange, and cashew.
These plants can be grown with wick system by applying the space of 1 meter from one
another. If people intend to grow wood, hydroponics is not a good choice for it does not need
a lot nutrients as vegetables and fruits do. Besides, a tree can grow well even it is not taken
care. But, hydroponics can be the solution for seeding. It is best since the seeds will be very
resistant to plant diseases.

In summary, hydroponics is more beneficial than traditional farming system for some
reasons. As we know that the outcome of hydroponics is better. Besides, it allows the farmers
to do easier work: Farmers do not need to take the plants intensively because they have
already been sterilized by the clean areas of planting. Moreover, farmers can press their
expending since hydroponics uses less land, water, and fertilizers.