The Rural Voice, 1979-11, Page 30Hydroponics
Monkton tomatoes
growing in water
BY ALBERT WHITING
The energy crisis has brought forward
many innovative ideas of conservation in
the agriculture industry, with increased
yields, lower labour costs and reduced
operating budgets as their targets. The
latest idea that embodies all three areas is
a resurgence of a very ancient method of
horticulture. It's "water culture" or
hydroponics, as it is now known.
Hydroponics is a method whereby the
nutrients that a plant requires to grow are
brought to its root structure in a water
culture.
In natural growth a plant does not feed
from the soil itself but takes from the soil
the nutrients and minerals held in it. Water
is the medium which, in effect, helps to
break down those minerals and enables the
root system to absorb them by osmosis.
The Ministry of Agriculture for several
years has been emphasizing the necessity
of taking soil samples and replacing the
lost phosphates, etc. in order to promote
better growth. Modern hydroponics has
taken this a step further and controls
precisely those needed nutrients to in-
crease growth and plant yields.
Weather can be both a friend and enemy
to the farmer. It can smile upon him or
smite him. Farmers are dependent com-
pletely on its capricious nature. To combat
the weather, hydroponics utilizes the
greenhouse structure to shield plants from
its more adverse effects. Again, you get
increased control.
The conventional greenhouse industry
has found its costs rising due to labour and
fuel requirements. This subsequently has
had the effect of almost pricing greenhouse
produce out of the market. The old cliche
about "necessity being the mother of
invention" comes true again, for the
hydroponist today has a way of cutting
PG. 28 THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1979
James Cressman, R.R.3, West Monkton, is one of
the first owner/operators of an Agriculture Hydroponic
Greenhouse. He hopes to start harvesting tomatoes in
December. A similar greenhouse is owned by Bob
Black at Brussels and another is being built by Albert
Whiting at Newry. (Photo by Bev Brown)
This 100' x 72' polyehylene greenhouse holds 2215
tomato plants -- all planted in one day by three people.
Ideal environment for growth is maintained by two
propane heater/fans, two 48" exhaust fans and two
18" air circulation tubes which run the length of the
greenhouse. (Photo by Bev Brown)