Some Impressive advances in Hydroponics

Hydroponics is growing at an alarming rate in today’s world. People are taking it to all new levels and are taking the basic knowledge that we’ve had and are running with it. From greenhouses to vending machines, the technology is expanding and we are going to cover some of the recent developments and their uses of indoor grow systems.

An increasing number of Mexican states are starting to show interest in high tech greenhouses for exporting vegetables and flowers. Investors are starting to realize that high tech horticulture can earn money and are going at it full force. Estado de Mexico is the largest flower producer inmexicoand make as much money with 5,592 acres of flowers as others have been making with 550,000 acres of corn. They are starting to move into peppers, berries, and soft fruit as well with the new technology which is exciting the locals as this will open up more jobs.

A green house about 125 miles north ofLos Angelesis growing 125 acres of tomatoes in their high tech green houses. Hydroponics is giving the Houweling Nurseries a 20% increase in production per acre and decreasing the quality rejection rate to a mere 2% down from 50% when compared to field grown tomatoes. These facilities are expensive to say the least but the hydroponics allows them to control the growing conditions year round maximizing production. While there is a limited selection of plants able to grow in these environs and the produce isn’t considered organic as they use fertilizer solutions, the plants that can be grown will bring a large increase is supply and profit.

Japanis known as the land of innovation and their expertise it seems doesn’t end in consumer electronics. They have developed a hydroponic vending machine that grows plants without the need for sunlight. These were developed for urban areas where growing fresh vegetables have been an issue. Using twelve 40W bulbs to replicate the light made by the sun, this vending machine labeled as the Chef’s Farm is said to produce 20,000 heads of lettuce a year with 5 separate growing beds per machine. Each bed has separate environmental controls meaning that each bed can grow a different vegetable but lettuce seems to be the most popular at the moment.

Manchesterhas developed a radical plan to solve the world’s food crisis. They are using what is called a vertical farm. They are converting unused office space and buildings into a hydroponic farm in the middle of cities. If this attempt works not only could we grow in urban areas, but instead of taking up massive plots of land, a simple office building could produce very impressive amounts of produce.

These are just a few of the current advances in the field, there are many more around the world. While indoor grow systems may not be the answer to world hunger, it certainly will help the issue. For more info on hydroponics and how indoor grow systems work, please contact our Michigan Hydroponics store.