Lesson Structure: Hydroponics I BHT224

There are 10 lessons:

1  Introduction

• hydroponic systems
• global industry
• comparision to growing in soil
• resources and contacts.

2  How a Plant Grows

• plant structure
• biochemistry
• biochemical cell processess
• mechanisms of nutrient uptake
• photosynthesis; minerals and nutrients
• the role of pH in plant growth
• hydroponic nutrient solutions
• preparing nutrient solutions.

3  Hydroponic Systems

• location
• equipment
• systems
• soilless mixes
• rockwool
• rockwool manufacture
• rockwool properties
• development of propagating blocks
• propagation applications
• recommended practices for propogation
• nutrient film techniques
• alternative layouts for NFT
• methods of solution dispention, closed and open systems; techniques.

4  Nutrition & Nutrition management

• understanding nutrient formulae
• atoms, elements & compounds
• chemical names
• what does a plant need
• calculating formulae
• mixing nutrients
• symptoms of nutrient deficiency
• recommendations
• adjusting the pH
• using electrical conductivity measures
• conductivity
• conductivity and hydroponics.

5  Plant Culture

• flow charting the crop
• controllers
• salinity controllers
• pH controllers
• post harvest storage
• cooling
• drying
• canning/bottling
• controlled atmosphere storage
• relative humidity
• vacuum storage
• freeze drying
• freezing
• pest and diseases in controlled environments
• fungi, common funal problems
• cultural controls
• current legislation
• biological and integrated pest management
• beneficial agents
• economic thresholds
• methods of introduction
• major pests, diseases and disorders of crops identified
• problem solving and identification of illness
• difficult to diagnose problems
• leaf hoppers; thrip; virus; bacteria; caterpillars; harlequin bugs and more.

6  Hydroponic Vegetable Production

• commerical cultivation of vegetables
• propagation
• temperatures required for seed germination
• optimum monthly temperatures for vegetable growth
• harvesting vegetables
• growing vegetables hydroponically
• vegetable families
• fresh-cut herbs in hydroponic culture
• nutrient solution
• materials and handling
• notes on selected crops.

7  Hydroponic Cut Flower Production

• growing flowers in hydroponics
• carbon dioxide
• automation
• flower varieties
• indoor plants.

8  Solid Media vs Nutrient Film

• growing media
• NFT system choices
• header tank or direct pumping
• construction materials
• solution delivery
• capillary matting
• channel width and length
• slope
• temperature
• types of media
• vermiculite; sand; perlite; expanded plastics; scoria; expanded clay
• organic media; sawdust; peat moss; coir fibre; composted bark
• indoor plants
• plant directory
• transplanting a pot grown plant into a hydroponic ‘culture pot’.

9  Greenhouse Operation & Management

• growing crops in greenhouses
• solar energy
• greenhouses
• nature of active solar heating systems
• examples of solar greenhouse facilities
• greenhouse management
• what you can grow
• greenhouse and other growing structures
• environmental factors that influence plant growth
• plant needs
• temperature control
• heat loss
• heaters
• light factors
• artificial light
• horticultural management in a greenhouse
• greenhouse benches
• greenhouse cooling
• fog.

10 Special Assignment

• plan a hydroponic enterprise.

Learning Goals:  Hydroponics I BHT224

• Discuss the nature and scope of hydroponics systems
• Describe how plants grow and their nutrient requirements in a hydroponic system
• Compare a range of hydroponic systems
• Explain the basic management of nutrient solutions in a hydroponic system
• Understand the horticultural techniques used to maximise cropping in hydroponics, including treatment of plant disorders and the implementation of production schedules
• The ability to produce a hydroponic vegetable crop
• Understand the methods used to produce a cut flower crop hydroponically
• Compare growing media and systems and understand the differences
• Understand the operations and management of a greenhouse and hydroponic system
• Plan a hydroponic enterprise

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Excerpt From The Course

UNDERSTANDING HYDROPONIC NUTRIENT FORMULAE

For many years it has been considered that all plants require around 20 nutrient elements for their growth, and some plants might require a few more which others don’t need. Less than ten elements are known to be used in large quantities, and these are what make up the bulk of any nutrient being fed to plants growing in hydroponics. The remaining nutrients are generally supplied in either tiny quantities, or not supplied at all (it is assumed that dust in the air or impurities in the system will supply these tiny quantities of minor nutrients. This is however not always the case, and minor nutrient deficiencies can have drastic effects on the crop produced (even though they are only needed in small amounts).

Recent research has actually found that up to 93 elements in fact are needed to maximise the flavour in fruit and vegetables. (Potassium and magnesium are particularly important to the flavour of strawberries, though many other nutrient elements also have a contributing effect.)

Atoms, Elements and Compounds

Atoms are the basic building blocks of our world. Everything you see, touch and feel (including yourself) is made up of atoms. If you split any object or substance (solid, liquid or gas) up and continued splitting it, you would eventually get down to having microscopic particles which are atoms.

‑ There are 103 different types of atoms.

‑ 92 different types of atoms occur naturally.

‑ Each different type of atom is called a different ‘Element’.

‑ Around 50 different elements have been used by plants. (With many they are important to one type of plant but not all types of plants.)

‑ Just less then 20 different elements are important to all plants. (These are the nutrients we add to our nutrient solution.)

‑ Different types of elements join together to form ‘compounds’.

‑ ‘Nutrient salts’ are a type of compound which is commonly used in hydroponics to supply nutrient elements to plants.

Atoms are made up of smaller particles which are held together by electrical or magnetic forces. Each atom is in effect like a mini solar system with a cluster of particles called “electrons” orbiting it. The nucleus has a positive electrical charge and the electrons have negative electrical charges. The charges of the electrons balance out or neutralise the charge of the nucleus. In effect then, unless an imbalance occurs (eg. an electron is gained or lost by an atom), the electrical charge remains nil (it is balanced).

Elements differ one from the other in terms of atomic weight. By knowing the atomic weights of different parts (different elements) of a nutrient salt, we can calculate the proportion of the total weight of that salt which is the proportion of the total weight of that salt which is made up of the element we are wanting to feed the plant with.

EXAMPLE:  Ammonium sulphate (also called Sulphate of Ammonia)

This is composed of the following:

‑ Two atoms of nitrogen

‑ Eight atoms of hydrogen

‑ One atom of sulphur

‑ Four atoms of oxygen

…The two atoms of nitrogen are what we want to feed the plant, but we have to feed it everything else as well, because that is the most convenient way to apply nitrogen.

…Only 21.3% of the total weight is actually nitrogen. The rest of the weight is made up of hydrogen, sulphur and oxygen.

An alternative form of nitrogen sometimes used is Ammonium nitrate. This chemical salt has a larger proportion of nitrogen though (35%). If ammonium nitrate were used instead of ammonium sulphate, less of the chemical would need to be applied to feed the plant with the same amount of nitrogen.

Writing Chemical Names

The different elements have been given standard letter abbreviations. Chemical compounds or nutrient salts can be written using these abbreviations.