As far as farming is concerned, the demand for agricultural products has risen dramatically with the ever-growing population. While that is the case, farming land has become even more scarce with time, and this poses a huge challenge to the agricultural industry.

What if there was a way to overcome this challenge? Thanks to hydroponics technology, farming is still possible in a world where land is so scarce. In this article, you will discover what hydroponics is and its advantages.

• What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a Greek term, made from two words- Hydro means water, and Ponos means labor. In full, it means “working water”. In simple terms, hydroponics is a way to grow plants using nutrient-rich water and no soil.

While to some this is new, the idea was first mentioned in the year 1627 in the book Sylva Sylvarum written by Francis Bacon. After his death, other scientists continued his work, and by 1842 they had come up with a list of nine elements necessary for plant growth. And between the years 1859 and 1875 hydroponics was fully developed as a method of farming without soil. After that, scientists continued to perfect this technology to what it is now.

• Advantages of Hydroponic Farming

Over time, hydroponics has become more popular not just because the land is scarce, but also because it is an easier way of farming. Those who have used this method have a lot of good things to say about it.

Below is a list of things you will love about this technology.

1. You Don’t Need Soil

Where land is concerned, you need to do your farming on arable land to produce healthy crops. This means that if the soil is not rich or is contaminated, your crops will not be healthy. But this is not the case with hydroponic. As long as you have your hydroponic gardening systems in place, you can farm successfully from anywhere. If you have any doubts, you can go back to history in the 1940s, where this technology was used to supply fresh vegetables to the soldiers in Wake Island. As far as agriculture is concerned, hydroponic is the present and the future.

• You Don’t Need Big Land to Farm

In hydroponics, all you need is to provide a well-maintained system with all the things that plants require to grow. No more no less. You can still do your farming whether you have a very small land or no land at all. Whether it’s from your spare bedroom, your apartment, or some very small space you have on your compound, you are free to farm. Location and size are not factors that can limit you, and that’s the beauty of it all.

• You Do Not Have to Worry About the Seasons

In hydroponics, you get to control the climatic environment ie. Humidity, temperature, air composition, light intensity, and temperature of the plants. This means that you can grow crops all year round regardless of the season. So, if you are looking for high yields, this is the way to go. High yields mean adequate food supply and more money if you are farming for business reasons.

• You Do Not Have to Deal With Weeds

Dealing with weeds is one of the biggest challenges of farming on land. The task is both time and energy-intensive. But weeds are a soil thing, so you don’t have to deal with them using hydroponics. The tilling, plowing, hoeing, and even rouging the weeds will all be a thing of the past. And the best part is that apart from the weeds, you also get to eliminate any other issues that are associated with soil using this technique.

• You Get to Save Water

Apart from the weeds, water is also another huge challenge facing farming on land. And this is yet another problem that hydroponic solves. Hydroponically grown plants only consume 10% of the water as compared to those grown on land. This means that you can still farm efficiently even with very little water. In a world where water shortage is growing by the day, this sounds like the most viable option you have.

• Very Few Pest and Diseases to Deal With

Since you are in control of the environment, you also get to control the pests and diseases that can attack your plants. And because you are not using soil, your plants are also less vulnerable to soil and pest diseases. Indoor hydroponics is even much safer as compared to outdoor hydroponics. But either way, you are safe as long as you are not farming on land.

Conclusion

There are so many reasons to use hydroponic to grow plants. These are just some of them. Hydroponics is the most effective and efficient way to deal with the ever-rising food shortage in the world, today and most importantly in the future.