Hydroponics Can Revolutionize RP Agriculture
The overwhelming challenge of sustainable production of fresh vegetables in the country will probably end when Filipinos learn revolutionize their approach to farming through the utilization of modern technologies like hydroponics.
Hydroponics, a type of urban agriculture, is a potential approach to revitalize agriculture by fundamentally altering the manner how crop is produced, i.e., eliminating the dependence of plant on soil by completely changing the growing medium. Its concepts prove that soil is no longer crucial for the plant to thrive when the required mineral nutrients are artificially introduced into plant’s water supply and plant roots absorb them.
Hydroponics makes use of crafty facilities, resource-efficient and cost-effective cultures and systems to allow ore effective use of land, nutrient, water and labor in a comfortable and sanitary working condition. It also permits the grower to exercise better control of weeds, pests and diseases and in modifying plant’s diet resulting in larger yield of better quality vegetables up to 10 times the yield of geoponically cultivated crops. While some plants grow better than others, almost any terrestrial plant will grow hydroponically.
Hydroponics is a clean, safe horticulture technique that offers economic and healthy alternative to organic soil gardening. Growers rely on higher yield and longer period of harvest season to offset the increased cost of maintaining the system and greenhouse structure.
In hydroponics, the use of nay growing medium is possible but raising plants in a sterile growing medium with no reserved nutrients is advantageous. However, the choice is a question of economics and availability. Rice hull, an agricultural waste abundant in most rice-producing regions of the country and pumice, an extruded stone plentiful in Lahar Areas and coco peat, a byproduct of the coconut industry, are better choices.
A system can also be designed as recovery system that would ensure every plant-gets the precise amount of water and nutrients it needs in exact doses at prescribed intervals. Sweeter and larger fruit can be produced using a flow rate of 1 to 3 L/hr and an application interval of 24 times x 15 minutes per day. Recovery or recirculating systems guarantee tremendous saving in water and nutrients.
Recent developments in Central Luzon State University, in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, proved that honeydew melon can be successfully cultured hydroponically using rice hull, pumice and coco peat as growing media with nutrient solution delivered by low-head submersible pumps powered by a low-cost automatic controller. Under tropical greenhouse condition, good quality melon fruits were harvested about seventy days after seeding and can increase the growing season to four per year. The system has 36 percent of the harvest to break-even.
Hydroponics is still in its infancy in the Philippines as it is only practiced by hobbyists, businessmen, research-oriented institutions, and universities for research purposes. Thus, promotion of this high-technology farming system in the country requires concerted effort from the government, businessmen and technocrats. Given preferential attention and top-priority advocacy, it can become a technical reality to produce yields never before realized and provide positive future to feed millions.
By Chito F. Sace
Popularity: 5%
Popularity: 5%
July 15th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
July 19th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Thank you for your reaction to my article. Would you like me help in advocating this?
Hydroponics has been applied to rice farming several years ago in Japan when they converted an old and dilapidated train station into a progressive hydroponics system. They are able to grow rice four times a year with harvest up to five times as high as traditional way. You can search the internet about this.
God bless you,
Chito
July 21st, 2009 at 7:49 pm
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
good day ! im john dayola . im looking for a licensed agriculturist who is willing to work in GAMBOA , WEST AFRICA . DIRECT HIRING PO ito . sagot ng employer ang airline fare , charges etc to work in the farm in GAMBIA . send your resume to john7iqer@yahoo.com or call 09055163508 . salary is negotiable
July 26th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Dear Cherrylyn,
Good that I have someone like you interested in hydroponics.
So how can I help you?
God bless you,
Chito
February 24th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
May 28th, 2010 at 3:17 am
I am interested to put up a small greenhouse for start and eventually make a larger scale depending on the outcome.
Can you sugest for me where to order materials locally, and where can I buy quality seeds for vegetables. I want to try also watermelon and honeydew.
June 3rd, 2010 at 8:57 am
Greetings from Central Luzon State University!
This kind of agriculture is no joke as you are going to invest. You need to be trained first. My advise to those who are really interested is to acquire hands-on experience first before indulging in this endeavor.
We have our greenhouse here at our school which I designed and built. I can help you establish a farm. But as far as I know you are in the Middle East and you from Iloilo, quite a far place from here.. I have been there also for quite sometime. It was where I learn all these things plus of course the training I got from other countries.
It’s a good idea to start small and expand as the need arises.
May the Lord bless you abundantly with strength and wisdom! More power.
Truly,
Chito
July 7th, 2010 at 12:45 am
August 19th, 2010 at 4:29 am
August 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Greetings from CLSU.
Many have requested to conduct seminars on hydroponics, but the plan was not pursued. So I just answered their questions online. One of my interests is greenhouse. I have learned many things about it since I was an OFW in the Middle East plus some training I learned when I work in CLSU. In my fascination, I designed and built some units which I believed would be useful and applicable in our condition. Part of this is the knowledge of pressurized irrigation for distributing irrigation water or nutrient solution for hydroponics. Applying all of these requires little practicality and theory. This also require hands-on training before any investment will be done.
I am now leveling up my involvement in these technologies by doing aquaponics: aquaculture and hydroponics combined. I am writing an article about this hoping that Agriculture Magazine will have it published soonest.
I can help you build the project that you are dreaming. You can contact me at cfsace227@ yahoo.com.
God bless you,
Chito