Engineering Sustainability Hydroponics Farming Systems- Benefits And Challenges

Objective

Discuss about the Engineering Sustainability Hydroponics Farming Systems.

The human population is ever-growing and so is the demand for food. Currently, about 40% of the total land is dedicated to produce food for the vast 7 billion human population. However, it is expected that the demand for food will jump by almost 70% by the year 2050. A pertinent question thereby arises as to where would this incremental production of food come from. One possible answer could be increasing the area under cultivation but there is very limited scope in this regard (Isaacson, 2015). Another response is by increasing the productivity of agriculture akin to the introduction of high yield varieties. However, in this regard, it is noteworthy that the yield increases in the last three to four decades has been achieved at substantial environmental costs (Gray, 2015). This is apparent from the rise in use of chemicals fertilizer, pesticides and weedicides which pose significant environmental hazards. Also, these varieties typically require assured supply of irrigation which is increasingly becoming a problem especially in the developing nations where there has been over-exploitation in this regard (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014).

Clearly in wake of the lack of choices as is evident above, the most plausible course of action would be the clearing of forests to create more space for agriculture. However, this would adverse influence the delicate environmental balance which he have already disturbed to an extent. In this backdrop, an alternative farming technique known as hydroponics may provide the answer (Jensen, nd).  Hydroponics refers to an innovative farming practice whereby plants are grown in nutrient rich water and not soil. As a result, hydroponics tends to open a vast block of land specially situated in deserts which are currently considered unfit for farming. Also, unlike soil borne farming, the environment in hydroponics can be scientifically controlled which results in higher yields and significantly lesser problems related to pest and weeds (Mims, 2016). Additionally, the quality (including nutritional value and appearance) of the produce can also be carefully controlled which resolves the problem of wastages whereby some of the produce does not sell due to appearance issues. Hydroponics is akin to growing plants under experimental conditions as the plants are grown in an inert media which tends to drive nutrients from the nutrient rich water which is fed to these plants. Thus, all the environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, amount of sunlight and nutrient feed can be controlled which results in attainment of desired output. Besides, with the help of grow lights, hydroponics can be practised indoors also (Brechner & Both, 2014).

Efficiency Comparison of Hydroponic and Conventional farming

The current case study aims to critically analyse the advantages of hydroponics vis-à-vis traditional agriculture in the backdrop of sustainability factors. Besides, the case study would focus on highlighting the current practices related to this new farming technique and how it can potentially provide answers to the looming food problem we are expected to witness in the future.

The primary objective is to compare the hydroponic system of farming with the conventional farming in wake of the various sustainability factors and efficiency. Also, the report would draw on the performance of hydroponic farming system on the various sustainability factors. Further, on basis of this, the report would also deal on integration of hydroponic system with the existing farming system for securing the wider interests of the society in the long run.

In order to draw a comparison between the efficiency of hydroponic farming with the conventional farming, it is imperative to compare the three key variables i.e. yield, consumption of water along with energy consumption. Barbosa et. al. (2015) through their research compared the above parameters related to the two given farming systems for lettuce and reached the following results.

• In terms of yield per unit area, the hydroponic farming was able to produce 11 times the yield of lettuce produced under conventional farming. Two reasons primary are responsible for this high yield. Firstly, hydroponic farming provides the flexibility of growing a given vegetable all year long even when the outside climate may not be conducive. In case of lettuce, through hydroponic systems, annually 12 crops may be produced. Secondly, due to strict environment control, the growth of the plants is faster and consistent.
• The water consumption per unit yield was also 12 times lower in hydroponics system as compared to conventional farming. This may be attributed to both a higher yield of crop and also lesser loss of water from transpiration. Besides, through the use of recirculating systems, the nutrient water is used efficiently thus providing only the requisite water. This is unlike the conventional farming systems where there is relatively higher wastage and transpiration loss ad less water is absorbed by the plants root (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014).
• With regards to energy consumption, clearly conventional farming was found to be more efficient. This is because the energy consumption in hydroponics system is about 82 times the energy consumed in the conventional farming. Higher energy needs of hydroponics arose because of greater use of artificial lighting to ensure that more crops annually are obtained. Also, there are heating and cooling related costs for providing the optimum temperature to the plants (Siegel, 2014).

It is noteworthy that despite the higher energy requirements, hydroponics does provide a credible alternative to conventional farming. Further, the energy requirements can also be lesser in regions where there is ample sunshine or through the usage of solar powered hydroponics system (Nally, 2016). Besides, greenhouses may also be used to reduce the overall energy use and reduction of environment control. However, hydroponics may not be a suitable system for various cereal crops which constitute approximately 50% of the total crop production. This is because of the wafer thin margins in these crops which do not justify the high energy costs and setup costs associated with hydroponics (Isaacson, 2016). But for vegetables, hydroponics does provide an option which is being explored and it is likely that in the future, the production of vegetable hydroponically would grow (Brechner. & Both, 2014). Besides, with the growing income levels, it is expected that demand for vegetables would be significantly higher than that of cereals. Hence, a major shift to hydroponic farming system would provide ample space for cultivation of the requisite cereal crops without harming the forests (Mims, 2016).

With regards to sustainability of a given factor, it is imperative to critically analyse it from the standpoint of the following five factors.

• Social Impact – It is estimated that the social impact of hydroponic systems would be quite profound especially for the marginal communities and the farmers in the third world countries. This is primarily because these people primarily engage themselves in growing of low value crops and are dependent on nature for farming. With the increasing incidence of extreme weather not only in Australia but also globally, it is essential that dependence of weather based agriculture needs to be reduced. Thus, these farmers and poor communities with the aid of the government and NGO’s could grow hydroponic vegetables not only for their own consumption but for sale. Additionally, this could also provide livelihood to communities located in regions where physical conditions are not suitable for farming (Jensen, nd).

• Environmental Impact – Conventional farming tends to dependent on extensive use of water which is being over exploited by farmers and is rapidly becoming a cause of concern. Besides, there is also usage of chemical pesticides and weedicides which lead to contamination of food products and also pose health hazard. Also, the discharge from fields is rich in various chemicals and thus causes water pollution that has adverse impact on marine life (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014),. Hydroponics on the other hand, limits the use of water and also recollects the excess water. Further, any waste water generated is either recycled or disposed after adequate treatment so that the harm to environment is minimised. It is apparent that in the long run, hydroponic based farming systems present a superior choice in terms of environmental sustainability (Kumar and Cho, 2014).

Sustainability Factors

 

• Economic Viability- It is imperative that the alternative farming system while being environmentally and socially beneficial should be economical as well. From the discussion in previous section, it is apparent that on account of higher yields and quality obtained, this farming practice is economically viable. However, this practice is suitable primarily for high value crops mostly peppers, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale and other herbs (Siegel, 2016). The economic viability of hydroponic farming is also apparent from the fact that in 2015, the produce from this farming has already reached a figure of $ 15 billion globally (Mims, 2016). Also, in the future, it is expected that these systems would become more efficient and therefore the economic viability would improve thus resulting in greater varieties of crops grown using this technique (Gray, 2015).

• Capacity to Deliver – In wake of our insatiable food requirements, hydroponic is apparently the future of farming. This is because it would allow those crops which cannot be grown hydroponically to occupy the hand currently under other crops. Also, hydroponic farming can be practiced in arid and semi-arid regions besides in places where climate or soil is not suitable for farming. Therefore, the incremental land requirements for hydroponics farming is not a problem as it does not involve clearing of precious little forests that still continue to remain. Also, through the usage of LED lights, it also offers the scope of indoor farming where all the parameters could be controlled just like in a laboratory. However, considering the low space requirements, even indoor farming is economically lucrative and sustainable (Isaacson, 2015).

• Adaptability – One of the key sustainability factors for a given practice is the ability to adapt to changing environment. This is also apparent in conventional farming which through genetic engineering is coming up with new varieties that are more tolerant to extreme weather. However, hydroponics in this regard presents a more convenient and durable solution as it always presents the option to grow crops indoor through artificial lights and temperature management (Mims, 2016). Further, the space requirements in the regard are minimal since these can be grown vertically using specialised cabinets. This allow urban farmers to practice this on large scale so as to not feed themselves but produce surplus which can be marketed to recoup the initial investment (Siegel, 2016).

From the above discussion, it is fair to conclude that hydroponics farming systems do provide a sustainable option to conventional farming even though this is limited to certain crops only. But going forward, it is expected that more developments would be made in these systems which would lower not only the set up costs but also the operating costs. This would essentially bring more varieties of crops under the ambit of this farming which clearly needs to complement the conventional farming going forward.

With the rising demand for food, the conventional farming methods are expected to come under pressure.  As the availability of arable land is limited and also enhanced productivity is attained at tremendous environmental damage, a more sustainable and environmental friendly practice in the form of hydroponic farming is the need of hour. Hydroponic farming is essentially soilless farming with or without any medium. This may be practiced indoor, outdoors and also inside greenhouses.  As a result, this farming system presents greater flexibility in terms of control of various physical factors. The net result is that hydroponic farming systems are more efficient to conventional farming methods both in terms of yield and lesser water consumption. However, this comes at the cost of higher energy requirements which imply that this system is essentially limited to vegetables which command a higher price as compared to cereals. Further, this innovative farming means is having a positive social impact especially for marginal communities as it provides a subsistence means. Also, since this system is less prone to pests and diseases, the usage of pesticides and weedicides is also reduced which is beneficial for the environment. Besides, this system is commercially viable and can prove to be a able support to conventional farming practices to ensure food security in the long run especially in wake of dynamic environment.  

References

Barbosa, G.L., Gadelha, F.D., Kublik, N., Proctor, A., Reichelm, L., Weissinger, E., Wohlleb, G.M. and Halden, R. 2015, Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponic vs. Conventional Agricultural Methods, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), pp. 6879–6891.

Brechner, M. & Both, A.J. 2014, Cornell Controlled Environment Agriculture: Hydroponic Lettuce Handbook. [Online] Available from https://www.cornellcea.com/attachments/Cornell CEA Lettuce Handbook.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Gray, K. 2015, HOW WE’LL GROW FOOD IN THE FUTURE, [Online] Available from https://www.popsci.com/farms-grow-up-thanks-to-technology (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Isaacson, B. 2015, To feed Humankind, We need the farms of the Future Today, [Online] Available from https://europe.newsweek.com/feed-humankind-we-need-farms-future-today-335238?rm=eu (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Jensen M.H. n.d., Deep flow hydroponics—Past, present and future. [Online] Available from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bbdb/7892e445cd8d1e25f0441a1e79e333a5d2f9.pdf(Accessed January 30, 2017)

Killebrew,  K. and Wolff, H. (2014), Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Technologies, [Online] Available  from https://econ.washington.edu/files/2014/06/2010-Environmental-Impacts-of-Ag-Technologies.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Kumar, R.R. and Cho, J.Y. 2014, Reuse of hydroponic waste solution, Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 21(16), pp. 9569-9577

Mims, C. 2016, Are Shipping Containers the Future of Farming?, [Online] Available  from https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-shipping-containers-the-future-of-farming-1465393797  (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Nally, B. 2016, Solar-Powered Hydroponics Could Be the Future of Agriculture, [Online] Available from https://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/35885-solar-powered-hydroponics-could-be-the-future-of-agriculture (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Siegel, E. 2014, Dirt-Free Farming: Will Hydroponics (Finally) Take Off?, [Online] Available  from https://modernfarmer.com/2013/06/dirt-free-farming-will-hydroponics-finally-take-off/ (Accessed January 30, 2017)