Hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, presents a feasible alternative to conventional farming in areas which are short on water supply and limited in agricultural soil.
This book will serve as an indispensable guide for students in the agriculture sciences, for agriculture instructors and soilless-culture farmers. It provides up-to-date information on optimal plant nutrition, deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients, plant growth media, optimal root environment, environmental control, carbon dioxide requirements, saline conditions and use of sewage in soilless culture. Other topics include economic aspects of hydroponics, new growth methods and an outlook for the future.

Inhalt

1 History.- 2 Types of Hydroponics and Nomenclature.- 2.1 Advantages and Disadvantages.- 3 Nutrients.- 3.1 The Elemental Composition of Plants.- 3.2 Macroelements.- 3.3 Microelements.- 3.4 Nonrequired Elements.- 3.5 Deficiency Symptom Considerations.- 3.6 Interaction Between Nutrients.- 3.7 Methods of Expressing Solution Concentration.- 3.8 Composition of the Nutrient Solution.- 3.9 Mixed Fertilizers.- 3.10 pH.- 3.11 Mobile and Immobile Nutrients.- 3.12 Nutrient Concentration and Yield.- 3.13 Preparation of Nutrient Concentrates.- 3.14 Foliar Nutrition.- 3.15 Nutrient Solution Analysis.- 4 Culture Methods.- 4.1 General Outlines.- 4.2 The Supporting Media.- 4.3 Sand Culture - Open System.- 4.4 Rockwool Culture - Open System.- 4.5 Gravel Culture - Closed System.- 4.6 Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Water Culture - Closed System.- 4.7 Water Culture - Closed System.- 4.8 Bag Culture - Open Systems.- 4.9 Other Systems.- 5 Water.- 5.1 General.- 5.2 The Process of Osmosis.- 5.3 Transpiration.- 5.4 Irrigation.- 5.5 Saline Water.- 5.6 Wastewater (Sewage).- 6 Carbon Dioxide.- 6.1 General Observations.- 6.2 CO2 Sources.- 6.3 Economics of CO2 Enrichment.- 7 Root Environment.- 7.1 Root Functioning.- 7.2 Relations of Nutrient Absorption.- 8 Plant Growth Effects and Plant Tests.- 8.1 Photosynthetic Efficiency.- 8.2 Harvest Index.- 8.3 Root-Shoot Relationships.- 8.4 Plant Tests: Choice of Tissue.- 8.5 Plant Analysis.- 8.6 Disease Control.- 9 Controlling Systems.- 9.1 Controllers.- 9.2 Temperature.- 9.3 Light.- 9.4 Automated Fertilizer Application.- 9.5 EC Controller (Conductivity).- 9.6 CO2 Controllers.- 9.7 DO Controller.- 10 Culture and Cultivation.- 10.1 Plants Adaptable to Hydroponic Culture.- 10.2 Tomato.- 10.3 Cucumber.- 10.4 Lettuce.- 10.5 Flowers.- 11 Establishing a Commercial Soilless Culture Unit.- 11.1 Economic Considerations.- 11.2 Increased Technical Demands on the Management.- 12 Some Future Aspects.- 12.1 Plant Nutrients.- 12.2 Initial Investment.- 12.3 Growth Media.- 12.4 Advanced Sand-Culture Methods.- References.