rsfield College is introducing the future to its students as they experience first-hand the revolutionary uses of hydroponics.
Stepping away from traditional farming practices, hydroponics utilizes a system of flowing water mixed with fertilizers to feed plants their nutrients, according to Sally Sterns, horticultural technician and adjunct faculty member at BC.
“What hydroponics is, is a way of growing plants with no soil. Hydro meaning water and ponos meaning labor so the water does the work,” said Sterns describing the Greek-roots meaning of hydroponics.
“So what happens is we have a 30-gallon tank with a pump in it. We put fertilizers and clean water [in through] a water cleaning system, [then] we turn the pump on and the pump then moves the water in the fertilizers into tubes. Then gravity just pulls it down and what it does is bathe the roots, which sit in [individual plant slots].
“Then, they’re constantly bathed with a mixture of fertilizers and water. And they have plenty of oxygen [so] the plants get everything they need. Plants don’t really need soil to grow. Soil basically is a support structure to hold the plant upright,” said Sterns.
Growing hydroponically creates a distinct advantage for plants, as well, by eliminating the work involved with plants having to take the water from the soil.
“They’re just instantly given everything they need to grow two to three times faster than they would growing outside,” said Sterns.
The hydroponics systems are located in the green house near the horticulture lab on campus.
“Because most hydroponics is done in a greenhouse, we control the light, we control the temperature, we control the fact that it’s an enclosed structure and bugs are not coming in. If it’s too cold we can add heat. If there’s not enough light, we can let more light in and you can’t do that outside but you can do it [in a greenhouse],” said Sterns.
Getting their first hydroponic system over a year ago, students have been growing food crops like chilies, tomatoes and plants with short root systems in them. The department also recently purchased a new hydroponic system in February from the World Agriculture Expo in Tulare.
Students have also created their own hydroponic system that is fully functional and currently has crops growing within it. Students are also in the process of building a fourth unit that will be used for growing strawberries.
As for food crops that are produced in the hydroponics systems, according to Sterns, they will be picked and distributed to the Culinary department. They will then use those crops for food served in the Renegade Room.
The importance of hydroponic technology for students, according to Sterns, is to better enable them with the understanding of what the needs of society will be in the future, and how to meet those needs.
With population growth and quality farmland decreasing, producing enough food for the nation and the world will require alternative methods that hydroponic farming can provide.
“There’s going to come a point in time where we’re not going to be able to produce enough food to support our population, and that’s happening now all over the world. So the benefit of hydroponics is, eventually we will have farms that are called “vertical farms” and we’ll be farming in skyscrapers, so what you’ll have is a 20-story building, and each floor will have one specific food crop or maybe two.
“So, you’ll have a floor that is dedicated to growing hydroponic tomatoes, another floor that’ll be growing salad greens like spinach and lettuce and things like that. You could even have a floor that you can raise chickens on,” said Sterns.
Cleaner and healthier crops are also possible through growing hydroponically, according to Sterns.
“You eliminate the use of most pesticides, because you’re growing indoors and you’re controlling the temperature and the environment. So your crop grows faster and you can grow it year-round,” she said.
Sterns also points out that there is no disadvantage between crops grown in a hydroponic system and those grown traditionally with soil.
Additionally, any food crop can be grown hydroponically and faster, too, in any season. The only requirements would be configuring the system to work with the needs of the crop.
Ornamental plants can also be grown hydroponically with the same processes used to grow food crops.
The Agriculture Department will also be hosting its fifth annual Garden Fest on campus Saturday, April, 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in celebration of Earth Day.
The show, which was created by Professor Lindsay Ono of the Agriculture Department, is an event that spotlights the Environmental Horticulture program at BC. The event brings together over 100 booths from groups that emphasize “green” culture designed to educate and raise awareness to the public.
Included are how-to seminars in gardening, landscaping, cooking and arts and crafts to name a few.
BC groups that would like to get a booth for the festival can do so for free as well.
Sterns would like to make the event about BC as much as it is about the Environmental Horticulture program.
“We’ve had some students that have made candles and soap and sold those fundraising for their club. We’ve had other students like the communication ambassadors just hand out information about who they are and of course information about the Communication Department and what they offer. We really don’t limit what they can do.
“Our whole intention was to get everyone on campus involved and have a one day festival, so not only can we promote horticulture and agriculture, but promote BC too,” said Sterns.