Hydroponic Growing
Growing plants without soil
Capt.S.K.Bhandari
& the ASFIC Team
+91 938525643
HYDROPHONICS
What does
Hydroponic mean?
Hydro = water
Ponic = labour
HYDROPHONICS
Hydroponic vs. Soil
The plant food is in the
water.
Vs
The plant food comes from
the soil
HYDROPHONICS
What is hydroponics?
Growing plants in water, without soil
Efficient
Fast growing
Crop density is high/limited space
Less pests, weeds, and soil borne
diseases
Less physical labour
Less water than traditional farming
HYDROPHONICS
HOW
DOES WORK?
Plants are suspended in a ph neutral
medium
Nutrient rich water is pumped through
allowing the plants to absorb what they
need
An air pump oxygenates the water for the
roots
The water is recycled, until the nutrients
are nearly all absorbed by the plants and
then disposed of in a responsible way
HYDROPHONICS
Hydroponics isnt new
1627 book Sylva Sylvarum by Francis
Bacon
In 1699, John Woodward published his
water culture experiments with spearmint
In 1937 William Frederick Gericke of the
University of California at Berkeley first
coined the term hydroponics
HYDROPHONICS
Advantages of Hydroponic
No soil is needed
Lower water costs
Control the nutrition levels
No nutrition pollution is released into the
environment
Potential for stable and high yields
Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of
than in soil
Nutrients needed for Plant Life
NPK and minor elements
Nitrogen
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sulphur, Calcium, Magnesium
Copper, Molybdate, Boron, Zinc,
Manganese
Other needs for plant growth
Air (Oxygen / Carbon Dioxide)
Light
Water
ROOTS
Nutrient absorption takes place in roots
Root health is very important
Roots need dissolved OXYGEN
Stagnant water cannot hold Oxygen
The more root mass the more nutrients
can be absorbed and the more growth is
possible
ROOTS
To be a successful hydroponic grower you
must create an environment for good root
growth
Media
Some type of media is necessary to
create the ideal environment for the roots
No nutrients are obtained from the media
Different types of media have different
physical attributes
Types of Media
Expanded clay
Rockwool
Coco peat (Coir)
Perlite and Vermiculite
Sand and gravel
Wood chips
Rice hulls
Packing peanuts
Types of Hydroponic Systems
Static solution culture
Continuous flow culture
Aeroponics
HYDROPHONICS
Static Solution Culture
Continuous flow culture
Gravity fed hydroponics system
Nutrient rich
water
Roots suspended
Pump pushes
water
Air stone
oxygenates the
water
Continuous flow culture
HYDROPHONICS
Aeroponics
CAPSICUMS
Lettuce Production
HYDROPHONICS
LETTUICE
Tomato Production
HYDROPHONICS
Cucumber Production
HYDROPHONICS
HYDROPHONICS
Plants
with sufficient oxygen in the roots
likewise take in supplements all the more
quickly.
These types of food mix with the water and
go straightforwardly to the roots.
Not at all like the typical methodology, does
the plant not have to search in the dirt for
supplements.
Also, these are conveyed to the plant various
times every day.
HYDROPHONICS
FEED
The main three macro-supplements
incorporate potassium, phosphorous and
nitrogen.
These are consumed in tremendous sums
and crucial to the proceeded presence of
plants.
Hydroponics is viewed as helpful over
universal soil planting.
HYDROPHONICS
Development
rate for hydroponic plants is
said to be 30 to 50 percent speedier
contrasted with a dirt plant with
comparable conditions.
Masters guarantee that extra oxygen in
hydroponic developing mediums
encourages root improvement.
Hydroponic and Greenhouses
Hydroponic growing can be done indoors,
outdoors or in Protected Agriculture
Example of Protected Agriculture is a
Greenhouse
Advantages of Protected Agriculture
Better control of environmental conditions
Protection from invasive insects and diseases
Extended season for growing
Increased yields, higher plant density
Less land needed
HYDROPHONICS
Glass Greenhouse
HYDROPHONICS
In search of something else
In search of something else
Aquaculture
Hydroponics
Aquaculture + Hydrophonics = AQUAPHONICS
Why Search?
Recycling wastes into resources
Creating ecosystems
Combining the best of technologies
Promoting biodiversity
Producing food
Where can we use it?
Households to enhance self sufficiency
Schools to empower our next generation
Commercial production more
sustainable,
Communities eliminate food oases and create
resiliency
Urban Agriculture fits perfectly in areas with
population density
Aquaponics
Why Aquaponics?
Near zero environmental impact
High quality hormone-free fish
A level higher than organic vegetables
No chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides
90% less water than conventional vegetable gardens
97% less water than standard aquaculture methods
Versatile and adaptable
Less waste than aquaculture and hydroponics
Closed loop system
How does it work?
The Nitrogen Cycle
What can we grow?
Crap items such as catla,
Rohu, Grass carp,
Common carp etc
Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)
Catfish (Ictalurus spp.)
Crappie (Pomoxis spp.)
Koi
Goldfish
Trout
Salmon
Freshwater prawns
Crayfish
Green leaf, red leaf, and other
leafy lettuces
Pak choi (bok choi)
Swiss chard
Basil
Mint
Watercress
Chives
Many common tropical plants /
house plants
Deepwater, established
systems
Tomatoes
Peppers
Cucumbers Beans
Peas
Squash
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Pros: plant roots are
exposed to a
continuous supply of
water, oxygen, and
nutrients
Cons: less buffering
against interruptions
in the flow, e.g. power
outages
Grow Bed/Ebb and Flow
1. Timer to cycle the
pump, which provides
the ebb and flow of
nutrient dense water
and oxygen across the
plant roots
2. Use of a bell siphon
or loop siphon
Raft or Deep Water Culture
1. Most frequently
used in larger scale
and commercial scale
aquaponics
2. Requires intensive
biological and
mechanical
filtration to keep the
water clean and clear
of any
solids waste
Bell Siphon
Stand Pipe
Auto Siphons
Loop Siphon
Filtration
Biological
Aerobic bacteria convert the
toxic ammonia (NH3)
produced by fish,
decomposing fish waste,
uneaten food, and dead plant
matter into nitrite (NO2) (also
toxic) and then to relatively
non-toxic nitrate (NO3)
Mechanical
removal of solids waste before broken
down by biological processes. This may
be achieved by passing the water
through a fine material such as a foam
sponge, filter sock, or other synthetic
barrier, which traps the solids and is
manually removed and cleaned on a
frequent basis. The manual removal of
organic solids benefits the system by
taking some of the demand off of
the biological filtration, reducing the
amount of oxygen used by bacteria in
the mineralization and nitrifying
processes. This is important, as your
fish need that oxygen as well. If there
is too much solid waste in the system
uneaten food, plant matter, etc., the
dissolved oxygen may drop to
dangerously low levels.
Starting the Engine
The Murray Hallam Cycling Technique
1. Add liquid seaweed at a rate
of 1 Lit : 100 Lit
2. Add plants
3. Wait for two weeks
4. Then add fish (low stocking
density)
*Can
*Can
*Can
*Can
add bacteria
cycle without fish
add synthetic ammonia
add water from other systems
Aquaponics
HYDROPHONICS
Grow Media
Hydroton LECA
(lightweight expanded
clay aggregate) is a
popular hydroponic grow
media. Its inert,
reusable, and highly
porous, providing
extensive surface area
for biological filtration.
The sun is the finest light source for
aquaponics. For growing indoors, however,
there are a number of artificial light options
for indoor gardening, including high output
fluorescent, metal halide, mercury vapor
bulbs, LED, and plasma lights.
Lighting
Water Heaters
Air Pumps
Third
most important fish in aquaculture
after carps and salmonids.
Good source of protein
Reproduce fairly easily, every 4 weeks
Can be grown as fry in aquariums
Can be grown to plate size in 55 gal
barrels
Ratio of fish to water capacity is one
pound of fish for every five gallons of
water
Feeding
Feed fish as much as they will eat in 3-5 minutes, 3
times per day. Allow four to five hours between feedings
for optimal metabolism
Take care not to overfeed fish.
Provide a high-quality fish food of appropriate size
fingerlings will take a much smaller pellet size than
juvenile and adult fish.
An adult tilapia will eat approximately 1% of its
bodyweight per day.
Fish fry (babies) will eat as much as 7%.
Fish that are not eating may be: stressed due to high
ammonia level; outside of their optimal temperature
range; lacking sufficient oxygen (discontinue feeding if
dissolved oxygen drops below 3ppm)
Water Quality Basics
pH
of 7 is ideal
Ammonia and nitrite levels should be less than .25
ppm.
Oxygen
Provide plenty of aeration in your fish tanks.
Strong water flow improves oxygen saturation.
Avoid overfeeding or overcrowding the fish.
Fish gasping for air at the water surface is a sign
they are lacking oxygen.
Harvesting
Tilapia
are generally ready to harvest at 6-9 months
of age, but the growth rate is dependent upon
feeding regimen and number of fish in a system.
Rainwater
and clean well water
Municipal water can often have chlorine
and chloramine added
There are many water conditioners
available, be certain they are human safe
Vitamin C
R/O System
Water Sources
HYDROPHONICS
The
hydroponic plant needs insignificant
vitality to hunt down and break down
support.
It can use spared vitality to develop faster
and transform more yields.
Hydroponic plants additionally experience
insignificant issues regarding bug
infestation and maladies.
Hydroponic planting systems don't oblige
topsoil so disintegration is not seen as an
issue later on.
AQUAPHONICS FISH
Prawn
AQUAPHONICS FISH
Grass Surface Feeders
Crap
Surface Feeders Catlas
Middle-Zone Feeders
Rohus
Bottom Feeders Common Carp
Mrigal
Pomphret
THANK YOU
