Transcript Slide 1

The Democratic Republic of
Eum Soo Hyun
Yang Jun
Lina Pan
High-Tech Farming
WHAT IS HIGH-TECH FARMING?
. It is a kind of farming that uses technology to grow crops, without making use of soil.
This is an aeroponics system.
NO SOIL IS USED
IN HIGH-TECH
FARMING.
ONLY NUTRIENT
SOLUTIONS.
Presentation Outline
-Introducing High-tech Farming and Cultivation
-Types of High-tech cultivation/farming
- Hydroponics
- Aeroponics
- Advantages and Disadvantages
-Environmental effects
- Summary
- Quiz!
- Bibliography
Introduction
High-tech farming is a farming method that involves the use of modern equipment and technology.
There are two main methods: Aeroponics, and Hydroponics.
These two methods are gaining popularity at a rapid pace. We will explain why afterwards.
Hydroponics
- Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a mineral nutrient solution, instead of
soil. It is under the category: ‘soil-less culture’. Computers control the growing
environment.
- Hydroponic crops are grown in a net-covered enclosure to keep out insects.
- Hydroponics has been widely misconceived as an incredible farming method. There
are many misconceptions regarding hydroponics, like the following:
.Hydroponics will not always produce greater crop yields than with good quality soil
.Hydroponic plants cannot always be spaced closer together than soil-grown crops
under the same environmental conditions.
-Productivity in Hydroponics is high as pest/health problems are reduced (the plants
are not susceptible to soil disease or bacteria), and nutrients are constantly being
transmitted to the roots. Some sealed greenhouses even inject carbon dioxide into
their environment to help growth.
Aeroponics
- Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in air or mist.
- Growing plants in the air promotes fast growth since there is more oxygen
surrounding the roots and the stem.
-The equipment involved are sprayers/misters/foggers that create fine mists of
nutrient solution and deliver them to the roots of the plants.
- In root development in an Aeroponics system, the size of the water droplets are
important. (For long-term growing, the mist system must have considerable
pressure to force the mist into the dense root system.)
- Plants grown using Aeroponics spend approximately 99.98% of their time in air
and 0.02% in direct contact with the nutrient solution!
- So, Aeroponics allows more power over the environment around the root zone, as,
unlike other plant growth systems, the roots are not surrounded by some medium
(like soil or nutrient solution).
Advantages
-Over and under-watering is prevented.
-Plant roots are visible.
-Hydroponics and Aeroponics are often the best production
methods in areas that lack suitable soil (e.g. Antarctica).
-Money and water is saved.
-Less land is used; this is good because land is becoming more
and more limited.
-Hydroponically/Aeroponically grown plants can be
packaged and sold while they are still alive, preserving their
freshness. Soil-grown plants are killed when they are removed
from the ground.
-There are no soil-borne/root diseases or pests in high-tech
farming systems.
-Low maintenance is needed for the systems.
-It is easier to fertilize plants because automatic timers can be
used.
-The crops receive balanced nutrition because all the essential
nutrients are dissolved within the nutrient solution.
Disadvantages
-When timers or electric pumps fail, plants can die very
quickly.
-Greater technological knowledge is needed.
-Therefore, Hydroponic/Aeroponic crops are usually more
expensive.
-Hydroponics require that plants be supported because the
roots have no anchorage without soil or another solid medium.