Hydroponics
Figure 2. Tomatoes
Figure 3. Greenhouse
Figure 1. Lettuce
Figure 4. Green Tomatoes
What is hydroponics?
Defined as growing plants without soil using mineral nutrients dissolved or suspended in an aqueous solvent. These systems actually use LESS water than agriculture in soil.
The systems designed for this purpose are scalable consisting primarily of PVC pipes, substrates, a reservoir, and a pump. Design parameters can be varied to meet the need of the crop of choice. Due to the colder temperatures that can be achieved in Hydroponics, things that do not typically grow well in the Tropics can be cultivated. These systems can be either outdoor or completely enclosed indoor. Indoor systems do not require any pesticides at all, as the threat of pests from the soil or the flying insects is eradicated.
Figure 5. Lettuce
How does it work ?
As with any engineered system, a certain degree of monitoring and maintenance is required. However, with the right engineering controls high yields of both plants can be obtained in a very small square foot area.
Figure 6. Hydroponic System
Assess
Plan
Develop
Profit
Conclusion
As with any engineered system, a certain degree of monitoring and maintenance is required. However, with the right engineering controls high yields of crops can be obtained in a very small square foot area.
Crops such as Romain lettuce, Swiss Chard, Kale, Arugula and Tomato are all known to perform well in Hydroponics systems.
Root crops such as Yam, Cassava and Dasheen are not recommended for Hydroponics. Taller plants such as corn and Sugar cane are also not recommended for these types of systems.
If you are interested in growing your own salads, in a short span of time this may be the right system for you!
REMco., will aid in the plan and design of the system, and will monitor pH, BOD, DO and other water quality parameters to ensure that plants are growing optimally.
In this business model, the infrastructure will be purchased by the property owner and left on site. REMco., will maintain and monitor the system and ensure optimal growth. REMco., will also aid in the marketing and distribution of produce. Therefore, all that is left for the property owner is to collect on their investment. This type of project can give a return on investment in as little as 18 months and can be scaled to meet the size of the allotment.