Soiless
Managing the Root Zone in Soilless Culture
Author: Eyal Ronen Haifa Chemicals Chief Agronomist
In solid growing media, there are five important parameters that should be monitored around the root zone to optimize plant growth and yields. EYAL RONEN offers some guidelines on how to manage these parameters to prevent major crop problems, and explains the importance of measuring fertiliser solution at both the dripper and drainage points. General terminology Soilless culture, commonly referred to as ‘hydroponics’, is a cultivation technique by which plants are grown detached from the soil. Plants are cultivated in containers filled with several possible growing media. If these media are solid, the method is called ‘soilless culture’. If no medium is present and the plant roots are bathed in circulated nutrient solution, the method is called ‘hydroponics. If no medium is present and plant roots get their nutrients by frequent spraying or misting, the method is called ‘aeroponics’. The method we are concerned with in this article uses solid growing media.
Figure 1. Different soilless cultivation methods.
Soilless culture characteristics The limited volume of medium and water availability generally causes rapid changes in the status of water and nutrients. Changes in the medium solution, such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH and nutrients level, should be monitored for the efficient use of water and nutrients. Failures in the careful supervision of fertilisation and/or the accuracy of irrigation are likely to result in severe plant damage and reduced yields. Hydroponics, however, offers several major advantages in the management of both plant nutrition and plant protection, if the right tools are applied and careful management is carried out. There are five important parameters that should be monitored by the grower, employing simple devices and methods. However, the common perception of some of these parameters is not always correct and this can result in some
Author: Eyal Ronen Haifa Chemicals Chief Agronomist
In solid growing media, there are five important parameters that should be monitored around the root zone to optimize plant growth and yields. EYAL RONEN offers some guidelines on how to manage these parameters to prevent major crop problems, and explains the importance of measuring fertiliser solution at both the dripper and drainage points. General terminology Soilless culture, commonly referred to as ‘hydroponics’, is a cultivation technique by which plants are grown detached from the soil. Plants are cultivated in containers filled with several possible growing media. If these media are solid, the method is called ‘soilless culture’. If no medium is present and the plant roots are bathed in circulated nutrient solution, the method is called ‘hydroponics. If no medium is present and plant roots get their nutrients by frequent spraying or misting, the method is called ‘aeroponics’. The method we are concerned with in this article uses solid growing media.
Figure 1. Different soilless cultivation methods.
Soilless culture characteristics The limited volume of medium and water availability generally causes rapid changes in the status of water and nutrients. Changes in the medium solution, such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH and nutrients level, should be monitored for the efficient use of water and nutrients. Failures in the careful supervision of fertilisation and/or the accuracy of irrigation are likely to result in severe plant damage and reduced yields. Hydroponics, however, offers several major advantages in the management of both plant nutrition and plant protection, if the right tools are applied and careful management is carried out. There are five important parameters that should be monitored by the grower, employing simple devices and methods. However, the common perception of some of these parameters is not always correct and this can result in some