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When
you are first introduced to hydroponics, you may assume that
is a new concept. That assumption is incorrect. Although hydroponics
has become very high-tech, it is at least as old as the pyramids.
The
First Hydroponics Gardens... 600 BC
Plants have grown in our lakes and oceans from the beginning
of time but, as a farming practice, many believe it started
in the ancient city of Babylon. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
are believed to be the first successful attempts to grow plants
hydroponically.
Along
the Nile, hieroglyphic records dating back several hundred years
BC describe the growing of plants in water, without soil.
Before
the time of Aristotle, Theophrastus (327-287 BC) undertook various
experiments in crop nutrition. Botanical studies by Dioscorides
date back to the first century A.D.
The
Floating Gardens of the Aztecs
In the 11th century, The Aztecs of Central America, a nomadic
tribe that was driven onto the marshy shore of Lake Tenochtitlan
in the central valley of what is now Mexico, practiced hydroponic
growing methods out of necessity. Without land to grow plants,
they were forced to learn other ways of producing crops. Being
a very ingenuous people, they built rafts out of rushes and
reeds, lashing the stalks together with roots. They dredged
up soil from the shallow bottom of the lake and piled it onto
the rafts.
Chinampas
Floating Rafts of the Aztecs
Soil was taken from the bottom of Lake Tenochtitlan and placed
on the rafts which were made of reeds, rushes and weeds. The
soil was rich in organic debris which provided nutrients to
the plants. Plants were placed on top of the soil. The plant
roots grew through the soil and down into the water be- low.
Some of the Chinampas were as long as 200 feet, growing vegetables,
flowers.
Because the soil came from the bottom of the lake, it was rich
in organic debris that held nutrients necessary for plant growth.
Vegetables, flowers and even trees were grown on these floating
rafts, called Chinampas. The plant roots would grow through
the mats and down into the water.
The
Chinampas were sometimes joined together to form floating islands
as large as 200 feet long. Some Chinampas had a resident gardener
who harvested and sold the vegetables and
flowers on the raft.
As
the Aztec village became huge, so did their floating gardens.
During the invasion of the Aztec villages by the Spaniards in
the 16th century. these floating gardens were witnessed and
documented. Such an innovative, yet productive plant growing
system must have shocked the invaders.
Use
of the Chinampas, or floating gardens, continued into the 19th
century and some remnants can still be seen in Mexico today.
Other
Examples of Hydroponics in History
Another example of hydroponics was described by Marco Polo in
his famous journals. As he traveled through China (c1275 -c1292),
he wrote of the floating gardens of the Chinese.
1600's:
Early Scientific Experiments in Hydroponics:
In 1600, Belgian Jan van Helmont derived that plants obtain
substances for growth from water by planting as lb willow shoot
in a tube containing 200 pounds of dried soil. After 5 years
of regular watering with rainwater, he found the willow shoot
increased in weight by 160 lbs, but the soil lost less than
2 ounces. What he did not realize was that plants also require
carbon dioxide and oxygen from the air.
In
1699, plants were grown in water containing various amounts
of soil by John Woodward. a fellow of the Royal Society of England.
Mr. Woodward found that the greatest growth occurred in the
water which contained the most soil. He concluded that plant
growth was a result of certain substances and minerals in the
water, derived from the soil. This mixture of water and soil
was the first man-made hydroponic nutrient solution.
European
plant physiologists established many things in the decades that
followed Woodward's research. They proved that water is absorbed
by plant roots, that it passes through the plants stem system
and that it escapes into the air through pores in the leaves.
They also showed that plant roots take up minerals from either
soil or water and that leaves draw carbon dioxide from the air.
They also demonstrated that plant roots take up oxygen.
The
determination of precisely what it was that the plants were
taking up was delayed until the modern theory of chemistry made
great advances in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
In
1792 English scientist Joseph Priestly discovered that plants
placed in a chamber filled with carbon dioxide will gradually
absorb the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Two years later,
Jean Ingen-Housz demonstrated that plants in a chamber filled
with carbon dioxide could replace the gas with oxygen within
several hours if the chamber was placed in sunlight. It was
a fact that the plant was responsible for this transformation.
eluding to the first concept of photosynthesis.
1800's
-1920's: Great Scientific Breakthroughs
Between the early 1800's and the 1920's, phenomenal discoveries
and developments were achieved in laboratory studies of plant
physiology and plant nutrition. In 1925. the greenhouse industry
expressed interested in the newly acquired knowledge in "Nutriculture,"
as it was called at that time. Between 1925- 1935, extensive
development took place in converting the laboratory techniques
of nutriculture to large-scale crop production.
1930's:
Dr. William F Gericke
In the late 1920's and early 1930's, Dr. William F. Gericke
of the University of California at Berkeley, focused his research
on growing practical crops for large scale commercial applications.
During this time, he coined the term, "hydroponics",
which was derived from the Greek words, hydro (meaning water)
and ponos (meaning labor) literally "water-working."
His work and research is considered the basis for all forms
of hydroponic growing even though it was primarily limited to
water culture without the use of a growing medium.
Dr.
Gericke was photographed with tomato plants that exceeded 25
ft. in length. These photographs appeared in newspapers throughout
the country and created both excitement and skepticism in the
general public. Promoters and equipment manufacturers proceeded
to cash in on the media-hype by selling useless equipment and
materials promoted to grow goliath plants.
In
reality, Dr. Gericke's newly developed hydroponic growing system
was far too scientific and complex for most potential commercial
growers.
1940's:
Hydroponic Technology Used in W W II to Feed Troops
During the late 1940's, a more practical hydroponic method was
developed by Robert B. and Alice P. Withrow, working at Purdue
University. Their system alternately flooded and drained a container
holding gravel and the
plant roots. This provided the plants with the optimum amount
of both nutrient solution and air.
During
World War II the shipping of fresh vegetables overseas was not
practical and remote islands where troops were stationed were
not a place where they could be grown in the soil. Hydroponic
technology was tested as a viable source for fresh vegetables
during this time.
In
1945, the US Air Force built one of the first large hydroponic
farms on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, followed by
additional hydroponic farms on the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa
in the Pacific, using crushed volcanic rock as the growing medium
and, on Wake Island west of Hawaii, using gravel as the growing
medium. These hydroponic farms helped fill the need for a supply
of fresh vegetables for troops stationed in these areas.
During
this time, large hydroponic facilities were established in Habbaniya,
Iraq and Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, to support troops stationed
in those areas near large oil reserves.
The
American Army and Royal Air Force built hydroponic units at
various military bases to help feed troops. In 1952, the US
Army's special hydroponics branch grew over 8,000,000 lbs. of
fresh produce for military demand. Also established at this
time was one of the world's largest hydroponic farms in Chofu,
Japan, consisting of 22 hectares.
Following
the success of hydroponics in W W II, several large commercial
hydroponic farms were built in the US, most of which were in
Florida. Due to poor construction and management, many of these
farms were unsuccessful.
1945-1960's:
Use of Hydroponic Culture Expands
Because no soil was needed and, with proper management optimum
results could be had, the excitement over hydroponics continued
and its use expanded throughout the world, specifically in Holland,
Spain, France, England Germany, Sweden, the USSR and Israel.
Areas with little rainfall, poor or no soil and difficult access
were ideal for hydroponic culture.
Between
1945- 1960's both individuals and garden equipment manufacturers
were designing hydroponics units for home use. Some were quite
efficient while others failed due to poor growing media, unsuitable
construction materials, poor construction and improper environmental
control.
Even
with many failures, the idea of creating the ultimate growing
system intrigued many and research and design continued in the
field of hydroponic culture.
1970-80's:
New Technology Brings Hydroponic Production into Mainstream
In the mid 1970' s another media blitz about the miracles achieved
with hydroponic technology hit the United States. Again, hydroponics
was considered a get rich quick scheme and many hopeful investors
lost big money on failed hydroponic farms.
Even
though the potential of hydroponic culture is incredible, commercial
hydroponics in the US was held back until hydroponic systems
that were economical to build and relatively easy to operate,
became available in the marketplace. With the advent of high-tech
plastics and simpler system design, this came about in the late
1970's. The energy saving poly greenhouse covers, the PVC (or
similar) pipe used in the feed systems, the nutrient injector
pumps and reservoir tanks are all made of types of plastic that
weren't available prior to the 1970' s.
As
both small and large hydroponic farms were established in the
late 1970's, it was proven that, with proper management, hydroponic
culture could produce premium produce and be a profitable venture.
As hydroponics attracted more growers, complete plant nutrient
formulas and hydroponic greenhouse systems were being marketed.
Environmental control systems were being developed to help to
growers provide the ideal plant environment in addition to the
ideal plant diet.
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