Hydroponics and Aeroponics Research free essay sample

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite,gravel ,mineral wool,expanded clayor coconut husk . Some of the reasons why hydroponics is being adapted around the world for food production are the following: No soil is needed for hydroponics The water stays in the system and can be reused thus, lower water costs It is possible to control the nutrition levels in their entirety thus, lower nutrition costs No nutrition pollution is released into the environment because of the controlled system Stable and high yields Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of than in soil because of the containers mobility It is easier to harvest No pesticide damage Today, hydroponics is an established branch of agronomy. We will write a custom essay sample on Hydroponics and Aeroponics Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Progress has been rapid, and results obtained in various countries have proved it to be thoroughly practical and to have very definite advantages over conventional methods of horticulture. There are two chief merits of the soil-less cultivation of plants. First, hydroponics may potentially produce much higher crop yields. Also, hydroponics can be used in places where in-ground agriculture or gardening are not possible. Ideal Hydroponics growing conditions (1) Temperature:An ideal temperature range should be from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, during lights-on cycle and from 64 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit during light-off cycle. The ideal day time growing temperature without CO2 augmentation is 73 degrees Fahrennheit/23 degrees Centigrade whereas, without CO2 augmentation is 76 degrees Fahrenheit/24. 5 degrees Centigrade. (2)Temperature for the root zone:It is very important to understand that if you are growing your hydroponic plants are in cement slabs or basements; do not place the pots on the floor because this can drop the temperature of the root zone, which can destroy your hydroponic plants. The ideal root zone temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 3)Temperature for water or nutrient solution: The ideal temperature for water or nutrient solution is from 66 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit. (4)Humidity: Proper humidity helps create conditions that permit harmful organisms and molds to flourish. During vegetative period the ideal humidity required is 40 to 65% and 40 to 60% for flowering. (5)Lights: For hydroponics vegetable plantation the light cycle required is 18 hours light on and 6 hours light off. For flowering it is 12 hours with light on and 12 hours with light off. Of course the exact hours of light cycle may change depending on the plant. 6) Lighting: You need fluorescent lighting for early cuttings and cloning and forhydroponics vegetable growth you’ll need High Pressure Sodium and metal halide; for vegetative growth lighting 60% halide and 40% HPS; for floral growth high pressure sodium only and no metal halide. (7)Light coverage: For 10 square feet of space you need 400 watt bulb and for 20 square feet you need 1000 watt light. You can accordingly extend the cove rage areas. (8)Light measurement: The unit for measuring light is called Lumen and a plant should receive 3000 lumens to grow faster. 9)Plant tops to lights distance:Remember, if hydroponics plants get too close to hydroponics lights they can be damaged severely. The distance between the plants top and lights should be 2. 5 feet. (10)Grow media: Processed coconut rusks, coco coir, perlite, lava rocks etc. (11)Air circulation: Your grow room should have at least one fan no matter what’s the size of your grow room. For roots ideal pH is 6. 5. Overall, the main advantages of hydroponics over soil culture are more effectient nutrition regulation, availability in regions of the world having nonarable land, effecient use of water and fertilizers, ease and low cost of sterilization of the medium, and higher density planting, leading to increased yields per acre. In hydroponics, soil free mediums are used for starting seeds and providing support to the plant. Plant roots need both air and water and so a perfect medium is one that is able to hold a nearly equal concentration of air and water. The determining factor in water/air holding capacity of a medium is the small spaces between each granule or fiber. There are many types of sterile substances with varying water/air holding capacities which can be used as a medium. Most common media types are – Coco peat, Perlite, Expanded clay pellets, Rockwool. You could also use sand, gravel, saw dust, sponge as grow media. Coco Peat:  Our favorite loose growing medium is Coconut Fiber or Coco peat. It represents a major step forward in organic soil free potting mediums. It has the water retention of vermiculite and the air retention of perlite. It is a completely organic medium made from coconut husks. Ground up and sterilized coco peat offers plants the perfect rooting medium and protection against root diseases and fungus infestation. Coco peat is a completely renewable resource, unlike peat moss which is rapidly becoming depleted from overuse. Perlite:  Perlite has been around for the longest time of all these soilfree mediums. Made from air-puffed glass pellets, and literally as light as air, Perlite has excellent oxygen retention which is the main reason it is used as a supplement in soil and soilfree mixes. The main drawback of Perlite is that because it is so lightweight, it is easily washed away and makes a poor medium in flood and flush type systems. Expanded Clay Pellets:  Expanded clay pellets maintain water by virtue of their porosity and surface area. This medium is pH neutral and reusable, making them ideal for hydroponic systems. The main drawback is that it cannot retain moisture for a long period of lime. Rockwool:  Rockwool is made from molten rock which is spun into long, glass-like fibers. Rockwool has good water to air capacity and is widely used as a starting medium for seeds and a rooting medium for cuttings. CommercialSome commercial installations use no  pesticides  or  herbicides, preferring  integrated pest management  techniques. There is often a price premium willingly paid by consumers for produce that is labelled organic. Some states in the USA require soil as an essential to obtain  organic certification. There are also overlapping and somewhat contradictory rules established by the US Federal Government, so some food grown with hydroponics can be certified  organic. Hydroponics also saves water; it uses as little as  1? 20  the amount as a regular farm to produce the same amount of food. The  water table  can be impacted by the water use and  run-off  of chemicals from farms, but hydroponics may minimize impact as well as having the advantage that water use and water returns are easier to measure. This can save the farmer money by allowing reduced water use and the ability to measure consequences to the land around a farm. To increase plant growth, lighting systems such as  metal halide lamps  for growing stage only or  high-pressure sodium  for growing/flowering/blooming stage are used to lengthen the day or to supplement natural sunshine if it is scarce. Metal halide emits more light in the blue spectrum, making it ideal for plant growth but is harmful to unprotected skin and can cause skin cancer. High-pressure sodium emits more light in the red spectrum, meaning that it is best suited for supplementing natural sunshine and can be used throughout the growing cycle. However, these lighting systems require large amounts of electricity to operate, making efficiency and safety very critical. The environment in a hydroponics  greenhouse  is tightly controlled for maximum efficiency, and this new mindset is called soil-less/controlled-environment agriculture  (CEA). With this growers can make ultra-premium foods anywhere in the world, regardless of temperature and growing seasons. Growers monitor the temperature, humidity, and pH level constantly. Hydroponics have been used to enhance vegetables to provide more nutritional value. A hydroponic farmer in Virginia has developed a calcium and potassium enriched head of lettuce, scheduled to be widely available in April 2007. Grocers in test markets have said that the lettuce sells very well, and the farmers claim that their hydroponic lettuce uses 90% less water than traditional soil farming Let’s talk about Commercial Hydroponics†¦Ã‚   | | With many years of experience HydroGarden is the UK leader in hydroponics. We have assisted many growers develop their businesses with our access to experts and consultants in a wide range of topics including plant biochemistry, analytical chemistry, commercial growers with crop specific knowledge, commercial installation experience and much more. Several directors within HydroGarden have owned and operated their own commercial hydroponic operations. Hydroponics is also now recognised as an important research tool. It has particular advantages where various controls are needed such as the pharmaceutical industry and other areas of research where a clean root system is required for instance. In Australia hydroponics production has risen from 155 hectares in 1990 to 500 hectares in 1996. This growth continues. In progressive, forward thinking countries throughout the world the commercial hydroponics industry has increased 4-5 fold during the last 10 years. It is currently estimated that the area under hydroponic cultivation is between 20,000 and 25,000 hectares with a farm gate value of US$6-8 billion. HydroGarden believes that the future lies in locally grown and sold produce, limiting the ‘road miles’ applied to today’s food supplies. Whilst export opportunities will occur, the main development will be that smaller niche, locally based growers will sell to supermarkets, farmers markets and wholesale operations as well as the consumer direct. This method of growing our food is a more sustainable model than those currently practised. Today’s consumer has become increasingly aware of health and environmental issues, even water consumption and availability†¦these are all drivers for the further development of hydroponic growing techniques. As a company HydroGarden can assist you to identify the most suitable system for your crop, location, skills and needs. We understand that different plants require different systems in different locations and as such can offer those systems how and when you need them†¦ Why use Hydroponics? | | There are 5 forces threatening long term crop and food production in open field situations:1  Increasing ultraviolet radiation2  Decreasing fresh water supplies and water quality3  Increasing top soil erosion and soil degradation4  Increasing resistance of insect pests and plant diseases to traditional chemical controls5  A convergence of natural cycles leading to extreme weather conditionsFurther, open field production is hindered because the grower has no control over the growing environment. The result is that the grower cannot predict yields and is unable to budget effectively. The field grower cannot always ensure adequate aeration of the rootzone during periods of extended rainfall. The results might be any of the following:Anaerobic conditions will benefit the proliferation of fungus (Phytophthora sp. ) and nematodes that will attack the roots and eventually kill the plant. Roots need oxygen to respire and therefore are not productive when the soil is saturated for long periods. Beneficial soil borne micro-organisms are eliminated, therefore exposing the roots to fungal and bacterial attack. Rain and excessive irrigation on the soil will leach essential nutrients from the root profile. Nitrates can be washed through the soil profile and pollute streams, reservoirs and the sea. Hydroponic nutrient solutions can be tailored to the plant requirements whereas in the field there is a tendency to over or under-fertilise. Nutrients in the soil are often fixed as insoluble compounds that are not available to plants and therefore a loss to the grower. SOIL GROWNSmall plant big root | HYDROPONICALLY GROWNBig plant small root | Looking at the benefits | | Irrigation water in field grown operations cannot be effectively recycled. Hydroponics can reduce irrigation water usage by 70% to 90% by recycling the run-off water. As water becomes scarce and more important as a resource, the use of hydroponics and other water saving technologies will increase. Fungal disease can be significantly reduced through controlled humidity. Hydroponic systems will reduce the amount of exposed moisture in the growing environment. Hydroponics will effectively prevent wetting the leaf surfaces which, in normal agriculture, provides the fungal spores with the perfect medium to proliferate. All labour inputs associated with soil management, such as digging and weeding are substantially reduced with hydroponics. The use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in protected environments is ideally suited to hydroponic growing techniques, especially when carried out in a protected environment such as a glasshouse or plastic/polythene tunnels. The use of IPM can virtually eliminate the need to use toxic and expensive chemical insecticides. Taking all the above into account, it is easy to see why protected cropping in general and hydroponics especially is becoming increasingly important. A hydroponically grown greenhouse plant:Can be protected from increasing and damaging UV radiationOffers the possibility of safe biological control of insect pests and diseasesUses water that is reclaimed and reusedAllows nutrients to be reclaimed, re-balanced and re-usedCan be protected from unpredictable weather patternsHas a good root system that is at reduced risk from contaminants and diseasesMakes very efficient use of labour, which is increasingly expensive in western conomiesCan be grown to take full advantage of their genetic potential and produce outstanding crops by using optimum nutrient formulationsCan be producing at times when market prices are highestCombine these factors with increasing public concern over food safety, pesticide residues and fungicide use; it is easy to see that the future of crop production favours hydroponic and greenhouse production. Especially when premium prices can be obtained and the demand is sustainable. Global diversity†¦ | | Lettuce, strawberries and cut flowers are well known commercial hydroponic crops in Australia, and have been for the past decade and more. Tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers and cut flowers form the bulk of Dutch hydroponic crops. A number of UK growers have successful cucumber and tomato operations and many herb growers are moving into this form of cultivation. Nowadays plants for essential oils, rare herbs, medicinal plants and Chinese vegetables such as pak choi are more recent crops of great interest. There is a developing interest in growing plants for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical use. It is possible to grow practically any commercial crops hydroponically. Commercial growers have been producing superbly flavoured hydroponic tomatoes for many years. Speciality crops and even fruit trees can all be grown hydroponically. We have recently learnt of a commercial hydroponic potato business in the Southern Hemisphere ! We are seeing an increasing interest in the production of cut herbs and salad crops, driven by the demand for convenience foods that are also seen as ‘healthy’. The production of cut flowers is itself a huge market, the introduction of new more exotic plant types lends itself to hydroponic production as a means of growing the best quality from the outset and therefore making it more difficult for cheaper lower quality crops to compete. We expect, in time, to see an increase in demand for edible flowers, especially for use in restaurants and hotel complexes. Even fruit trees can be grown this way. In fact there are very few plants that cannot be grown hydroponically, the choice for a commercial operation is a pure economic one. We produce a number of separate data sheets relating to various crop types and opportunities, this information includes some basic plant growing information as well as recommended or typical system types suitable for the crop. Whilst it is not exhaustive it will give the reader an idea of the potential for hydroponic crop production. Commercial systems†¦ | | All commercial systems are active, in that some form of pump or feeding device is used to deliver fresh nutrient solution to the plants in an ongoing basis. These systems are more productive and are therefore the only type suitable for commercial production. Of the active systems available they break down into either re-circulating or run to waste; run to waste systems are becoming less popular as environmental concerns and legislation restricts, or even prohibits, nutrient run off. However, if the run off can be managed to obtain a zero figure, these systems still have their place. As a company we encourage the use of re-circulating systems to maximise resource utilisation, but this is not always possible in certain circumstances.

Fundamentals of Skillful Story Writing for Our Readers Only!

Fundamentals of Skillful Story Writing for Our Readers Only! How to Write a Good Story Although a common hobby and a way of time spending, writing has not become any easier since the Ancient Greek times. Every person out of two blogs, and every one out of five is ‘working on the book of his life’ that ends up in a fireplace after no publisher accepted it. Truth be told, way too many people think themselves a true Hemingway reborn. If you are made of a different material and actually want to learn to write well, here are a few recommendations we scraped up for aspiring writers. Do not start writing unless you are in a resourceful state. Make yourself write random things, if need be, until you feel that your brain is ready for productive work. Excluding large historical novels, every piece of writing is based on everyday life, and this is where you should scoop up your inspiration. Look around, remember and process if you want your writing to be natural. There are various techniques for working on a literary work. You can just let yourself go and write, then cutting and modifying ruthlessly at the editing stage, or you can work out the plot before you turn on your laptop. The only obligatory thing is to work out your characters before you make them interact with each other. Do not be afraid to write about unattractive things (Like George Martin does, for instance). Dark and sinister events tend to attract readers. Five senses should be appealed to with no exceptions. This is what makes you writing ‘alive’. One of the tricks is using a so-called ‘hypnotic writing’ that will capture your reader until the very end. There are lists of words to use for this purpose, and the word ‘story’ is one of them. More on hypnotic writing is available online. Make the reader empathize. Make him laugh and cry with you, make him feel sorry for your characters and feel satisfied when justice is done. Your writing cannot be plain. It must have emotional bumps and gashes. Last but not least, do not under or overestimate intelligence of your reader. In both cases, it will be annoying. Learn your audience before you start writing. At: ozzz.org  you may find some more new and interesting information on the issu?

Site Surveying Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Site Surveying Procedures - Essay Example Uren. J. & W.F.P. (1999) Surveying device, consisting of a visual structure for collimating a measuring position, a driving unit for performing scanning in a dimension range said visual structure, a distance-measuring unit comprising a radiance gesture detachment measuring scheme, an image pickup unit for captivating an illustration in the size range, an icon meting out unit for performing reflection meting out to haul out edges from the image pulled out up, and a control mathematics operation unit for choosing a position near the periphery as a measuring position on the figure singled out for controlling supposed distance-measuring unit to carry out surveying procedure of the measuring position. Uren. J. & W.F.P. (1999) Three-dimensional data is normally surveyed on an object as this flat within a predetermined range; however the past has gripped this model of surveying on an object such as building within a predetermined range, there have been disadvantages in the past in that much time was required and there was limitation in acquired amount of the surveying data because an operator must determine a measuring point and surveying operation must be carried out one point after another. By the use of automatic instruments, surveying operation is automated, raster scanning is performed by determining a range with fine pitch, and a vast amount of 3-dimensional surveying data can be collected more quickly than in the operation by the surveying operator. A great number of measuring points are required and storage capacity o a storage device to store the data at the measuring points also must be large. In case unnecessary data is incorporated as measuring data, the continuity of the data may be lost, and the measurement must be repeatedly carried out in many cases. Tifadi, T. & Booth, D.W. (1997) To obtain the site configuration through the