In very simple terms, hydroponics can be defined as the growing of plants without soil. There are 4 basic elements a plant needs in order to grow: water, nutrients, an anchor for the roots (i.e., "medium"), and light. Usually, three of these four ingredients come through the soil, but actually the main function of soil is to anchor the roots; the nutrients don't come through the soil itself, but through the water in the soil. So, if you provide a water-nutrient solution for the plant, and the right amount of light, all you actually need is to find a new medium to anchor the roots, and voila! Plants grow without soil.
Hydroponics is being developed as a new science, but it isn't really all that new. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, for instance, is a wonderful and fine example of hydroponics; pieces of evidence of the said practice were also found in the histories of China, Egypt and the Aztecs.
Given that there is a lot of soil around, isn't it a bit an outrageous idea to grow plants without soil? But there are some cases in which it is more advantageous to grow food hydroponically. For example, it's okay to grow food out of season because hydroponics is not reliant on weather. Also, the method isn't solely dependent on sunlight - so artificial lighting can be utilized. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, hydroponics provides hope for growing plants in parts of the world where soil is contaminated.
Therefore, hydroponics theoretically allows us to grow healthy food in the dead of winter, in parts of the world where the soil is contaminated, in the arctic and Antarctic regions where it's dark half of the year, and potentially even in space! All we need is to provide the four elements that plants need for growth all of which can be provided without soil.
Scientists aren't the only ones exploring the use of hydroponics these days. Canada and Holland are currently using this method to grow food on a larger scale. Some individuals are also maintaining hydroponic gardens at home. As a result, there's an increased demand in hydroponic products - due largely to the increase in awareness of this practice. While this will not completely replace the old-fashion ways of the soil, hydroponics will certainly provide us with a fascinating alternatives to agriculture.
This article was added on Monday 28 December, 2009.
