Hydroponic Technology is Reshaping the Future of Farming
What is hydroponic technology?
Hydroponic is an innovative method of farming where plants can grow in nutrient-fortified water with a controlled-environment. The hydroponic technologies and systems are able to monitor the level of nutrients pH, temperature of the water, the amount of light the plants are receiving, and many more abilities that are being revolutionized every year. The global market size recorded in 2018 by Grand View Research, was $1.33 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.52% from 2019 to 2025.
This method of farming originated in the 19th century when a German botanist, named Julius Sachs, studied the essentials of the growth and sustainability of plants. His findings showed that plants didn’t rely on soil to survive but needed the microorganisms within the soil to be able to sustain itself. In 1860, Sachs published the “Nutrient Solution” formula, which created the path towards the modern day hydroponic technology that we have today and is increasingly evolving throughout the years.
Disrupting the Agriculture Industry
Hydroponic technologies are disrupting the traditional way of farming, which is heavily reliant on arduous labor to work the fertile soil. This conventional farming method has negative global effects on the environment because it increases greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water pollution, etc. There are also global crises as there is a decrease in fertile soil and in 2019 alone, 124 million people faced food shortages due to climate-related events. Furthermore, the UN estimates that the population will grow to 10 billion by 2050.
By utilizing hydroponic technology, we would be able to farm without relying on soil and huge plots of land. This helps us have more organic and pure produce since we won’t have to worry about pesticides. Also, since hydroponic farming has a controlled environment, we would be able to grow crops year round in any part of the world regardless of climatic conditions.
Types of Hydroponic Growing Systems
There are a variety of types of hydroponic growing systems, three of which are Nutrient Film Technique, Ebb and Flow Technique, and Wick Technique. The Nutrient Film Technique is a low-waste recirculating system that provides plants with sufficient water, nutrients, and aeration. It is the most commonly used as it offers the most optimal conditions for plants. The downside of this system is that it is a complex system utilizing both air and water pumps. If these pumps malfunction, it can potentially ruin the crop. The recirculating system can clog the pipes and channels if the water isn’t properly balanced.
The other system is Ebb and Flow, which plants grow by being flooded in the nutrient-water and then drained. The water is reused and returns back to the reservoir. The advantage of this system is it doesn’t expose plants to constant water, which can help improve growth and yield if the water is properly recycled. The disadvantage of this system is if water is not balanced or timed properly, the system may over-saturate the plants or dry them out. This requires consistent monitoring, especially of environmental factors like water pH, which can be harmful to plants.
Lastly, the Wick system has plants grow in a non-soil material that is given nutrients through a wick or string from the reservoir. This is great for smaller plants because it is easy to use and it’s more of a hands-off growing process. It’s a good option for beginners or children gardeners. It’s one of the lowest cost systems to implement as well. The con of this system is wicking can be ineffective for larger plants or extensive gardens. Also, failure to set up properly or maintain the wick, it can be deadly to plants. The figure below further illustrates the three systems processes.
Industrial-Focused Startups
Hydroponic technologies are being utilized today in commercial spaces through home indoor vertical farming as well as industrial startups targeting businesses and farmers. I decided to focus on industrial-focused startups and the three startups in this space are HydroGreen Global Technologies, Bowery, and WallFarm.
HydroGreen is a fully automated animal feed hydroponic growing system. It grows small seeds to a state of feed in a matter of 6 days using a variety of systems like the wick technique. It can be fed to any animal that eats grass including horses, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats and cattle. Their target market is farmers and ranchers, which they sell and install for to build a personal relationship. They have a computerized system that can control the amount of water, the level of light needed, aeration, as well as the certain temperature. They reduced the environmental footprint by 95% and lowered water consumption by 92%. With their computer controlled system, one person can seed and harvest with a touch of a button reducing labor. They were Founded in 2015 and was recently acquired by CubicFarm Systems in late December of 2019. The funds raised and acquisition details are not available for the public.
The next startup is called Bowery, and they are a modern vertical farming company that grows post-organic produce like spinach, lettuce, leafy blends, etc using the Nutrient Film Technique. Their target market is vegan-friendly supermarkets and franchises like Whole Foods and Sweet-greens. They use their BoweryOS, a proprietary software system, that uses vision systems, automation technology, and machine learning to monitor plants and their growth. Bowery transforms industrial space outside of cities into smart farms. Their indoor vertical farming systems help produce naturally flourish without the worry of pests, pollutants, and uncontrollable weather. It uses 95% less water, and is more than 100 times productive than traditional agriculture using a similar scale of land.
The third startup is WallFarm that is the first fully automatic control unit for hydroponic systems. They are manufacturers of this patented technology that was designed to be scalable and versatile. They are commercially available for individuals and they also sell to businesses and stores. It can grow up to 10 different types of plants at the same time and only takes 2 minutes to install. It helps introduce hydroponic systems to a beginner and newcomer. They are a seed stage Italian based startup that raised about 360,000 Euros. This scalable management system can help you grow your planting needs from 10,100, 10,000, etc. with minimal human labor and interaction. You can control and see the data on your crops growth all through the WallFarm App. It is very innovative and easy to use. Check out WallFarm since it’s both for consumers and businesses alike for your planting needs utilizing hydroponic tech.
Looking Ahead
The future opportunities of hydroponics are growing daily as we find innovative solutions to the ever-changing landscape of climate change. There is a huge space of bringing farming to the city and creating urban vertical farming in all major cities. Utilizing empty rooftops is currently being done but not being adopted as fast as it should. With the selling of these empty spaces, all buildings can be transformed into a usable hydroponic farm where locals won’t need to source their produce out of state but right there in their building or home.
Dubai is currently building the world’s largest vertical hydroponic farm and this will hopefully be the norm as we move forward. I also believe that we can utilize this technology to build social enterprises in underdeveloped countries and emerging markets. There are various startups blooming in this space in India and a variety of other countries. This can overall reduce the environmental footprint and become a more healthier choice for us humans as we innovate in this space.
Comment below on how you think this technology can be further used to revolutionize the future!
If you‘d like to learn more about this transformative technology, check out this informative article provided by Fresh Water Systems.
