[Market-farming] Hydroponics

Adriana gutierrez-lagatta at charter.net
Tue Dec 13 18:12:42 EST 2005


Paul,
I beg to differ.  I have been running commercial hydroponic greenhouses for 
over 8 years and you are making some grossly inaccurate statements.  Just 
like any good farmer we also will use beneficial insects and minimally toxic 
products, and these only when absolutely necessary.  We strive try to create 
a balance in our environment and practice integrated pest management.  A 
"humus-intensive" greenhouse can be just as susceptible to insects and other 
diseases strictly by virtue of the high plant density and very healthy 
plants in a greenhouse gives bugs an "all-you-can eat buffet".

One area in which we are more "sustainable'" than dirt farmers is in water 
utilization - we typically use less than 20% of the water which is required 
in field culture.  We also use a fraction of the fertilizers of conventional 
farmers and we do not leach any excess nutrients (be they chemical or 
organic) into  the ground water.

Most hydroponic greenhouses use "chemical" nutrients, but there are 
operations which grow hydroponically using more "organic" nutrients - some 
of these use fish effluent from high density fish tanks to grow plants; this 
is called Aquaponics.  A friend of mine in Brazil breaks down animal manures 
in a multi-stage biodigester with the end product being a water-soluble 
fertilizer that can be used in "water culture".

Paul I find the whole tone of your postings arrogant and offensive in that 
you seem to be placing your method as superior to others.  We all have our 
pros and cons and reasons for growing what we grow the way we grow it. 
Let's all try to learn from each other in a less confrontational manner.

Adriana Gutierrez
Birmingham, AL  35244



>  Growers  have no alternative but to drench hydroponic plants in 
> fungicides and pesticides.  This also makes them high maintenance and 
> labor intensive. A more sustainable alternative is humus- intensive beds, 
> and they can be in a greenhouse that opens in mild weather or just 
> outdoors with some form of weather protection. Humus-intensive has long 
> been demonstrated to be the way to grow the most and healthiest produce in 
> the least space with the least water and least ongoing energy input.























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