Alternative food production methods

There are a number of farming systems available to producers that involve the growing of plants in water. Magda du Toit looks at the fundamentals of these methods, as well as their advantages and drawbacks.

- Magda du Toit

Every day, the agriculture sector is challenged to produce more food while using fewer resources. Many environmental advocates, agricultural researchers and farmers see intensive food production systems that harness the power of water, such as hydroponics and aquaponics, as alternative ways of producing food.

Hydroponics offers a higher calorie and nutrient yield per growing area, and this is one of the reasons the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations supports the implementation of this system in regions where there are food shortages.

Hydroponics is ideal for the intensive production of fresh produce, and enables crops to be grown without soil, using nutrient-fortified water instead. The plants’ roots are either exposed to the water, or physically supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, coconut coir, or vermiculite. Since the plants are provided with optimal growing conditions, they can develop at a faster rate than those produced under traditional outdoor conditions or conventional methods.

South African vegetable, microgreens and flower producers have realised the potential that a hydroponics system holds, especially in terms of the quality of produce, the fast turnaround time, and the efficient use of water.

Intensive hydroponics systems are highly controlled and data-driven, and are often fully automated. Hydroponics also allows for more elementary systems to be set up in small spaces, enabling small-scale producers to grow food in and out of the traditional seasons in a climate-controlled greenhouse or tunnel.

With soil-grown crops, various factors can influence and hinder production; these include soil quality, water availability, water and soil pH, light, air, temperature, soil micro-organisms, and weather conditions.