By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Soil and water has always been the ideal combination when it comes to growing any plant. But thanks to hydroponics it may soon be possible to grow many fruits and vegetables without the use of soil.

Hydroponics, defined as a method of growing plants using nutrient solutions in water and no soil, And this new technology will be demonstrated during this year’s Farm Science Review.

Robert Hansen, an Ohio State University agricultural engineer with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will share research results from OARDC’s Hydroponics Lettuce Research Laboratory. Hansen is collaborating with CropKing, Inc. on maintaining a hydroponic lettuce research laboratory, and with Beth Fausey, OSU Extension floriculture and hydroponic vegetable specialist, on outreach education and marketing.

“Hydroponics, like greenhouse production, is an alternative crop production system to field crop production,” said Hansen. “Hydroponics provides the potential to grow produce year-round, giving consumers access to locally grown vegetables.”

Hansen said that initial input costs of hydroponic systems are high, but the control of system inputs – everything from lighting to nutrient levels to controlling insects and diseases - affords the greatest opportunities for a successful, high quality, high-value crop.

“There’s no soil involved, but we’re also experimenting in growing crops in containers that have soilless media such as sand,” Hansen said. “Right now our dedicated team is focusing on lettuce. We’re improving the technology for growing other crops this way. The goal is to grow crops this way with less time and less money.

“They’re already using hydroponics in Japan because there is limited growing areas over there,” Hansen said.

“The nice thing about hydroponics is we can harvest crops year round with this method,” Hansen said. “And the really neat thing is we have control over the elements, too.”

Hansen admits there are many pros and cons to foods grown this way. Advantages are many. No soil is required and the water stays in the system and can be reused, thus lowering the water costs. It is also possible to control nutrition levels and no nutrition pollution is released into the environment because of the controlled system. Stable and high yields can be obtained and pests and diseases are easier to be eliminated because of the container’s mobility.

Some experts believe there are some down sides to growing plants this way. The hydroponic conditions (presence of fertilizer and high humidity) create an environment that stimulates salmonella growth.
Another disadvantage is pathogens attacks including damp-off due to verticillium wilt caused by the high moisture levels associated with hydroponics and overwatering of soil based plants. Also, many hydroponic plants require different fertilizers and containment systems.

Hansen’s Extension/research project, which evaluates the viability of using a hydroponics system in Ohio, is funded by a three-year U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.

Hansen’s hydroponics demonstration will be conducted inside the Extension, Education and Research Tent along Friday Avenue of the exhibitor grounds.