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Antarctica

Hydroponics Worldwide A Look At Growing Systems Around The Globe

The advent of hydroponic gardening has redefined the crop-growing industry worldwide. Western nations such as Canada and the United States, along with eastern countries such as Japan are currently at the forefront of the blooming hydroponics industry, maintaining a steady output of large yields and clean, healthy produce. East and west, the hydroponics industry is steadily growing around the globe. Commercial hydroponics is appealing because of its effectiveness and sustainability.

Leading nations are not the only ones profiting from hydroponics gardening technology – developing countries are also beginning to utilize hydroponics gardening systems because of their efficiency and the agricultural benefits of hydroponic growing.

Commercial hydroponics has grown exponentially throughout the world over the last decade. Small- and large-scale hydroponic farms can be found in countries such as Spain, New Zealand, Mexico and Australia. Nicaragua produces over 125 million pounds of hydroponically grown peppers annually. Thanks to the sustainability and efficiency of hydroponics gardening, countries like Nicaragua can perpetually produce crops while bringing in substantial revenue.

Countries such as Israel can benefit from hydroponics gardening systems because hydroponics prevents water from being wasted in the soil. Hydroponic systems both save and recycle water and nutrient solutions.

While hydroponics growing has an increasing commercial appeal, more individual households are also taking advantage of hydroponic systems. Design and construction of hydroponics systems also make hydroponic gardening appealing due to their portability.

Thanks to hydroponic growing, healthy and high-yielding crops are being grown in places such as Antarctica and the International Space Station. The hydroponics garden in Antarctica is used to provide the staff of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station with at least one fresh salad a day, and a variety of fruits and vegetables typically unavailable in the past.

Climate in indoor hydroponics systems is easily controllable, adding to the universal appeal of hydroponic gardening.

As the world population steadily grows (experts estimate the global population will reach 8.9 billion by 2050) hydroponics gardening systems may play an even more important role due to the sustainability and economic efficiency of hydroponics growing.

What Are The Characteristics That Describe Organic Hydroponics

One of the advantages with organic hydroponics is that nobody can say that the plants aren’t ecological. Many people claim that even if the plants aren’t treated with chemicals they are given artificial nutriments and minerals and these substitutes can’t do good. So organic hydroponics is the solution that very few dislike.

Organic hydroponics has many advantages but some problems either, it depends primary on how you see the problem. Mention should be made that in some places hydroponics vegetables are considered organic in some others they are not.

What are the main characteristics that describe organic hydroponics?

One problem regarding organic hydroponics is that after some time the mixture of natural nutriments and minerals will be attacked by microorganisms that can transform the solution into something harmful to the plants. On the other hand the synthetic solution doesn’t have this problem but suffers from another. If you place the wrong amount of chemicals in your mixture, there is nothing you can do afterwards, and the crops are lost.

Organic hydroponics on the other hand works gently and even if you make some mistakes nothing irreparable will happen. Growing plants with organic hydroponics is actually easier and healthier, most of the hydroponics growing are associated with pH and ppm problems, once you remove the source of the problem (the chemicals) you won’t have to worry too much about your plants.

When using organic hydroponics you combine the benefits from classical soil methods and from hydroponics agriculture as well; thus you will eliminate the annoying aspect of having a perfect mixture of chemicals or else risk losing your crops. If you make an objective analysis you realize that organic hydroponics is the closest you will get to traditional crops.

The only real problem is that in places like Antarctica or other extreme areas where hydroponics is fantastic, organic hydroponics is not always a valid option, because organic nutriments aren’t so easy to preserve when compared to their chemical competitors.

This method applies best in regions that have a good soil providing natural nutriments as supply for an organic hydroponics farm but the crops won’t compete against similar soil plants that grow in the region. They are rather aimed against import products that come at a higher price.

Why is organic hydroponics preferred by most ecologists?

We can compare organic hydroponics to raising a child using just synthetic food, synthetic minerals and nutrients or any other similar mixture and never give him or her fresh fruit and vegetables. How would that be like? The same thing stands true for the plants that grow only with chemicals, they can’t possibly be compared to soil-grown or organic hydroponics similar products. This is in fact the main objection ecologists have against traditional hydroponics, and it continues to be reinforced regularly.