I studied agriculture at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa in 1984 and completing my M.Sc Agric. in 1998. . My love for "Controlled Environmental Agriculture" (CEA), started in my third year when I was exposed to the Welgevallen Research Station. There Prof. P.C.Maree showed us what hydroponics consisted of. It was awesome. There were no large tractors involved, no dusty fields, no uncontrollable storms to destroy your crop (well that is what I thought).
Since then I put hydroponics to much better use, not just farming. We solved pollution problems by cleaning mines effluent with hydroponics and aquaculture. They were used to remove toxic metals to produce clean water (which we sold and make more money of than the produce). What I learned from 1987 I tried to compile in this website and I hope it is from some value to the serious commercial farmer that wants to take the journey into Commercial Hydroponic Farming.
Mechanical filtration is not an effective tool to prevent water borne diseases in NFT hydroponic nutrient solutions. It has been found that the total organic...
Many growers are under the impression that a maintaining a specific pH is essential to optimal growth and good yields. This is a misconception about...
Nutrient removal is quite often neglected in closed hydroponic systems since it is difficult to measure and control. The reason is that not all nutrients are...
Refilling nutrient solutions are only required when a closed (NFT) system is used. With open hydroponic systems the nutrient solution is not re-used so no refill solution is...
Insect screens or thermal screens are designed to reduce heat in summer and increase temperatures during the night, but also to reduce the number of insects entering the...
Heat is always a problem in greenhouses during summer months and even during winter in some areas. Extreme high temperatures cause stress in plants and...
The installation of new evaporative pads is expensive. The material should last at least two years if not more. With good regular maintenance, evaporative pads...
Pad-and-fan systems, also called evaporative pad-and-fan systems, is the most common method of cooling a greenhouse in warm weather regions. Although not optimal, it is better...
Many growers have tried reducing temperatures (cooling) with fogging nozzles. The concept of spraying the air with microscopic water droplets which absorb the heat in the...
Ventilation of greenhouses in humid tropical areas presents the grower with a complete new set of problems. There are various methods available but none have...
Arid regions are characterized by low rainfall, low humidity and high temperatures during summer. The largest problem is temperature during the day time inside the...
Ventilation is the exchange of air inside the greenhouse with air taken from outside the greenhouse using either natural or forced methods. Ventilation efficiency...
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