"Hydroponic onions nasa". Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.
Advantages of Hydroponics
- Soil is not required for hydroponics
- No need for huge farming land as it allows the crops to be produced in greenhouses, even in the desert sands. It is a stable technology for growth of plants and ensures high yields
- The desired nutrient environment can be easily provided for plant growth
- Water stays in the system thus labor for watering of plants can be avoided
- Lower water costs as water is reused in these systems
- Less water is lost through evaporation and runoff
- Acid-base balance can be easily maintained.
- No mulching, tilling, changing of soil and weeding
- No scope of pesticide damage
- Proper aeration of nutrient solution is possible. Nutrition pollution is not released into the environment
- Easier to get rid of pests and diseases
- Easy to harvest
Disadvantages of Hydroponics
- Limited production in comparison to field conditions
- Initial setup cost is high, as the necessary equipments are expensive
- Technical skill is required to maintain the equipments
- Hydroponic gardens are influenced by power cut
- If a disease appears all plants in the container will be affected. Water borne diseases can quickly spread right through the hydroponic gardens
- If the hydroponic system fails it can leads to rapid plant death without soil as a buffer
