Hydroponics System
History
With the completion of our “Solar Canel” project to be used as a educational project for any future tabling events to teach the benefits of passive solar heating, ESW-URI wanted to challenge our members by revitalizing a project that was uncompleted by our chapter a few years ago due to unforeseen circumstances. This undertaking has allowed us to tackle issues in sustainability such as decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and utilizing space to maximize plant growth. With the start of this project, it allowed for members of all years to learn new skills that are key for development such as project design and management, budgeting, leadership, and public speaking. Our intentions for the system is to have the first test run of herbs and flowers, specifically cilantro, basil, and a variety of zinnias, to be sold in our recycled planters we make as a club to fundraise. ESW plans to automate the system next semester so it can be used to grow plants in our greenhouse and to promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability and sustainable farming.
Description
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants through the use of nutrient-rich water, not soil, and has a myriad of benefits such as decreased use of water through recycling and accelerated crop growth through the direct absorption of nutrients by plants. Additionally, due to the lack of soil, the process does not require the use of pesticides or herbicides to mitigate the chances of invasive insects or soil-borne diseases. Overall, this process is very convenient, as it can be done indoors and outdoors, and is very efficient for producing crops.
For our hydroponics system, we designed what we described as a “canoe holder-type support structure” made of PVC pipes through which the nutrient solution is pumped up from the reservoir to the plants.
As of now, it is located in our new greenhouse!
