Challenge to the crop in the ground |

September 14

Challenge to the crop in the ground

of Noucetta Kehdi

Until a few years ago the idea of cultivating the land aroused no doubts, even today in countries like Spain, the sunny and fertile hydroponics is widespread: people cares and wants to learn more questions arise.

What are the advantages compared to traditional crops?
It is an organic method?
How do you explain the amazing results?

We begin with an overview of the benefits:

Nothing earth-that means you can grow anywhere, no matter where you are: in a big city, a village on the outskirts, it does not matter that you have a garden or a balcony, or that the soil is poor and arid.
-No problem with worms, lower risk of infestation, and no unwanted seeds in soilless cultivation: so no herbicides and fewer pesticides, biological.
-The recirculation saves huge amounts of water and fertilizers: less waste then.
In-ground plants should make an extra effort to assimilate the nutrients, which are instead ready for use in hydroponics.
They will only absorb and grow, that's why the development is faster.
-In soil, the plant must develop a large root system to go in search of nutrients, while the focus in water resources in the leaves, flowers and fruits, with space savings and better quality crops.
In-traditional crops is very difficult to provide adequately all'areazione roots.
L'idroponica-makes possible a direct control on the needs of the plant and growth stimulation, and the full potential of plants.
-The vigor and strength of water-born plants is well known, often used in hydroponic cuttings which are then transplanted into the ground, to ensure better results.
-Once assembled and put into operation, the hydroponic system can go on for a long time without further investment: it is clean and without waste, and saving of time, effort and money.

In short, using this technique you can take into account a performance increase of 30%:
30% increase in the number of plants, 30% faster than their growth, the harvest increased by 30%, and active ingredients present in plants, 30% higher.

But there is still an important question: we all know that in the ground there are about 100 different items that are good for plant health and to our own, and not all are present in the hydroponic nutrients.
Like wine, the inherent qualities of the soil determine the quality of the harvest.
Years of research have led to the creation of supplements of minerals and trace elements that make the power plant close to that of traditional crops, introducing elements of fact typical of the land in hydroponics.
The specific fertilizers are made from purified mineral salts: a mix of primary and secondary macro-elements, trace elements and most trace elements.
They are not all alike, some companies produce essential fertilizers, while others offer rich and complex formulas, also available in hard water or light, to come fully meet the needs of the farmer.
Unfortunately it is not easy to differentiate between brands, often reading the label is not enough to dispel the doubts: the only way forward is to ask the dealer and to perform your test.
Even the producers are willing to clarify the list of components and the "recipe" behind their products.

When the formula is well crafted, and soluble fertilizers are immediately absorbed by the roots are on the market in liquid form or powder form, a single pack or two-three-component, sometimes even four separate elements to be used simultaneously.
It may seem difficult, but it is not: doses and methods of use are always on the label with the help of practical tables.
The division in the administration of nutrients is based on studies that have shown the different needs at different stages of plant growth, mainly rooting, vegetative and flowering / fruttazione.
As a general rule, a plant consumes more nitrogen during the formative or vegetative, and more phosphorus, potassium and magnesium when it blooms.
During the development cycle, the plant also consume calcium, sulfur and micronutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum and copper.
The administration of nutrients will adapt to each cycle, providing the plant exactly what they need, when they need it, thus taking advantage of the best genetic potential.

Many still wonder if the hydroponic fertilizers are organic: the answer is no.
But we see the difference between "organic" and "hydroponic".
A food is said to "organic" when no chemical or artificial man-made has been used for its realization: in hydroponic fertilizers are made from purified mineral salts.
In the land, billions (several million per gram of soil) of microorganisms decompose organic matter (manure) and transform molecules (not assimilated by plants) into ions that plants can absorb.
Even in water the plant is sustained through the ions, which are however of mineral origin and not organic.
For the purposes of the consumption of vegetable products, there is no difference: in both cases it comes to fertilize the best the plants and to avoid any harmful substance; the elements that we provide as nourishment are the same, only from different sources (organic in one case, minerals in the other).

There is also a factor to consider risk in the traditional organic fertilizer: the case of a natural process, you can run into toxic pesticides or heavy metals such as nickel, mercury, lead or zinc, or in sludge from fish waste used as fertilizer, from previous crops or used in compost.
In hydroponics, the mineral elements are provided through mineral salts in the form of ions, that can be obtained naturally or in artificial manner but who have been purified and refined.

Given those benefits, many people use fertilizers in hydroponic cultivation land, with good results: just be careful to overdoses and follow the instructions given on the label.