The Hydroponics It is a cultivation system in which the development of plants is achieved in aqueous media without the need for soil.
This technique is currently booming, dating back to ancient times, the Aztecs used it successfully in some of their crops, there is also evidence that the Romans put it into practice to obtain various foods.
Hydroponic crops are very useful in cases where there are no appropriate soils for traditional agriculture, in which the earth is replaced by other means of support for the plants, such as a series of channels in which elements such as stones may exist. or clay. These can be carried out in the open air or also in greenhouses when it is also required to control the climatic conditions to which the crops are exposed.
The most important element in hydroponics is water, which must be enriched with the minerals and nutrients that the plant requires for its growth and development. In the case of minerals, these must be provided in the form of ions so that the plant can absorb them through its roots; the most used are sodium, potassium, nitrogen, calcium, silicon, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper.
Modern hydroponics systems allow the treatment of wastewater for its reuse repeatedly, this has two objectives, on the one hand, to lower costs by being able to use the water several times and, on the other hand, to reduce the negative environmental impact of these wastewaters. Once the plants take up the nutrients, the residual water acquires an alkaline pH, a situation similar to that which occurs in soils after crops, which affects the fertility of the soil or culture medium in question.
The maintenance of a hydroponic crop supposes an initial investment in the structure and in control systems that allow to monitor the characteristics of water, its pH and composition to be making the adjustments that allow to achieve the optimal conditions for the crops.
Hydroponics offers several advantages, it allows to control the factors and environment where the crops are grown, thus optimizing their production, which can also be carried out continuously. Another great advantage is the fact that the cultures are handled under hygienic conditions that ensure that they are free of parasites, fungi or bacteria that can cause illnesses in the final consumers of the products, which is a constant risk in the agricultural products obtained by traditional means, especially those that are irrigated with water contaminated with cattle excreta that could be a source of various pathogenic microorganisms for humans, especially amoebas.
The main products obtained by the hydroponic cultivation method are vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chives, aromatic plants, onions, pumpkins and even fruits such as strawberries, melons and watermelons.