urban farming

Learn urban farming. know the pros and cons of growing plants and rearing animals in the urban jungle and how it can improve your life. Get the latest news, skills, and trends. Let’s improve food security!

Top 8 effective plant pests and disease control measures to implement in an urban farm

urban farming

Pests and disease control measures are strategies taken to control, eradicate and curtail the adverse effects of pests and diseases to plant growth and produce. Pests and diseases attack plants at all growth stages but are more rampant in the early stage when the immunity is not fully developed. They also attack plant produce in store leading to losses. It’s therefore very important to have measures in place to avoid the negative effects of pests and diseases on plant growth and produce like: Common plant pests include: Plant diseases can be caused by both bacteria, fungi and viruses. Common bacterial plant diseases include: Common fungal plant diseases include: Common viral plant diseases include: Pest and disease control measures in a plant urban farm should take into account the following cautions: Resurgence is when pests and disease numbers multiply more after continued application and use of control measures like herbicides. After applying the herbicides, the pests and diseases can get used, digest, and break it down. Changing application time, herbicide type or rate with appropriate consultation from your agriculturalist can help you avoid resurgence and spread to other areas Whichever measure is chosen, the end food product should not be contaminated or have pathogens that can affect human health. Overapplication of chemicals results in residues in the products that can cause diseases like cancer to humans. Over and improper application of chemicals and organic manure can result in a bad smell in the agricultural products that will lower the quality and appeal to customers. Farming generally affects the presence, growth and functionality of important soil organisms like earthworms, and useful Bacteria like nitrogen-fixing bacteria that break down organic matter and replenish the soil. Chemicals, over ploughing and growing the same crop season after season also have detrimental effects on the entire soil profile. The resulting poor soil will have low yields. Narrow spectrum practices target a particular pest or disease while broad spectrum can target everything in that range or circle. The latter is not good as other useful organisms and plants can be killed in the process.  This is more seen in pesticide and herbicide applications. Some pesticides and herbicides or any other chemicals can be hard to break down and persist for years after application. When carried by rain, wind, water bodies or running water, these can have negative health effects on biodiversity and other ecosystems. We need food, but it has to be produced precautiously in a healthy and sustainable manner that ensures: Top 8 Plant pests and disease control measures to implement in an urban farm Plant pests and disease control measures to implement in an urban farm include: 1.Spacing Plant spacing is done to ensure proper plant growth through: Plant spacing depends largely on: 2.Growing resistant plant varieties These are plant varieties that are able to resist pest and disease attacks, withstand adverse conditions like drought and also yield greatly. 3.Sterilization Modern urban farm equipment and systems need to be sterilized and cleaned periodically or often to maintain them so that they last longer and more so to prevent clogging and buildup of pests, diseases and parasites which can attack crops in the next growing season. This helps to curb disease spread. Sterilization and cleaning can be done manually by hand for smaller systems or flushing and cleaning machinery for larger systems in aquaponics and hydroponics. Acceptable amounts of cleaning chemicals and detergent can be used during the process as not to have adverse effects on the plants. Sterilization can also be done on seedlings and sucklings before they are planted in the garden. The soil can also be sterilized using minimal chemicals, fertilized and then left to rest for some time before new crops are planted in the next growing season. 4.Crop rotation This involves growing different types of crops alternately on the same plot of land with each growing season. This is very important, especially on large farms growing on a soil medium. Smaller backyard farms, allotment gardens, rooftop and vertical farms occupy less space and soil is easy to manage. Here, microorganisms like bacteria and earthworms can be inoculated to facilitate crop and plant growth, unlike larger ones. It can be costly. In crop rotation, legumes like beans, and peas, are included in the growing profile or can be intercropped with other crops to nourish the soil with nitrogen. These have nitrogen-fixing bacteria: nitrosomonas and nitrobacter which fix nitrogen in the soil. 5.Liming Liming is done to maintain growing medium PH in acceptable ranges of acidity or alkalinity. Plants thrive well in medium with ideal PH levels.  PH affects: Calcium carbonate is applied in recommended levels as per the Liming helps to fix the PH of the growing medium and to control certain pests and diseases. 6.Thinning Thinning is done to remove extra plants in the garden. It’s done to: 7.Pruning This is the removal of extra or unwanted plant parts. It’s done to: 8.Spraying Spraying with pesticides and herbicides to control pests, diseases and parasites. The application should be done periodically not regularly and with care to ensure that correct amounts are applied depending on the Pesticides and herbicides inhibit pest and disease growth and propagation thereby killing them rendering the plants free. Conclusion Pests and diseases affect plant growth and yields. These strategies can help you get started so that you eradicate parasites, pests and diseases, yield greatly in your urban farm and agribusiness.

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farm management

 13 best urban farm plant management practices for fast growth and enormous yields

urban farming

Urban farm plant management practices are activities that are done on a daily or scheduled basis to nurture plants for proper growth and high yields. Such activities ensure that plants have optimum conditions for growth in their growth medium (soil/ water), are growing well physically and are free from pests, diseases and parasites. Growing medium optimum conditions for growth include; water, PH, aeration, nutrients and support. External environment factors include; light required for photosynthesis etc. these should allow for optimum plant growth but not pests, diseases and parasites to thrive and destroy the crops for example too much humidity and improper lighting allow fungi to thrive and destroy the crops. Different plants thrive better in different environmental conditions and have different nutrient requirements for proper growth depending on their biology i.e. 1. Herbaceous or woody plants Herbaceous plants have weak stems and require more care and management than woody plants which have strong stems, sturdy and can withstand most harsh environmental conditions 2. Perennial or annual plants Annual crops grow in a short time and require immediate nutrition for growth than perennial crops which grow for more than one growing season. 3. Aquatic or terrestrial plants Some plants are more naturally adapted to grow in water than in soil medium so can survive a lot of water. However, with the rise of aquaponics and hydroponics, it’s possible to grow any type of plant in a controlled water environment medium and achieve even better results than in a soil medium. Aquaponics and hydroponics have numerous advantages but can be a bit expensive to set up. You can make a DIY setup however but it’s not as effective as the modern setup. Be it so, consideration should be made for proper plant type selection before choosing the growing medium 4. Adaptive capabilities Evolution has naturally modified plants to survive in different environmental conditions i.e. some can grow well in dry conditions while others cannot. On the other hand, some are naturally enhanced to resist particular pests and diseases. It’s therefore important to test the following factors before setting up a farm in a new area and periodically analyze them to stay ahead of the curve. In the modern era plant engineering and science have greatly modified plant biology and the resulting genetically modified plants can do extremely well in harsh environmental conditions and are highly resistant to most pests, diseases and parasites. These however have some disadvantages compared to traditional crops. Be it so the analysis has to be made to be on the safe side. Furthermore for plants to grow and yield well urban farming has to be streamlined in order to; A farmer, gardener, urban farmer, plant mom, plant dad, allotment or backyard gardener, therefore, has to be thoroughly equipped, knowledgeable and hard working to ensure that their plant or crop babies grow extremely well. They, therefore, need to implement the following activities. The best urban farm plant management practices for faster growth and high yields These are the best plant management practices done by farmers in urban farming to ensure proper plant growth and very high yields. 1. Manuring/fertilizing   This is done in the growing medium to provide plants with the nutrients required for proper growth. Traditionally organic manure or fertilizer is applied and mixed in the soil before planting is done. In an aquaponics or hydroponic setting, inorganic fertilizers like NPK or superphosphate are applied to the crops with the water in the growing medium. Plants need more of essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous to grow and non-essential nutrients like magnesium are also supplied. Depending on the growth stage, it’s essential to balance the nutrients to provide optimum conditions for plant growth. At the very young stage and fruiting stage is when plants take up more nutrients. It’s therefore very important to keep them available at all times. Your agriculturalist will give you a nutrient plant requirement chart for the different stages of plant growth. 2. Watering Plants need enough not too much water to grow. In a soil medium too much watering causes; In a water medium i.e. aquaponics and hydroponics, plants are adapted and get enough water for them to survive.  In absence of water plants: Watering should be just enough. In a soil medium, the intensity of watering depends on: Under normal circumstances, watering or irrigation is done once or twice a week for optimum plant growth. 3. Pruning This is the removal of extra or unwanted plant parts. It’s done to: 4. Thinning Thinning is done to remove extra plants in the garden. It’s done to: 5. Plant spacing Plant spacing is done to ensure proper plant growth through: Plant spacing depends largely on: 6. Supporting Plants need support when fruiting especially herbaceous plants like tomatoes. These need to be staked to support the heavy fruit. Trees need to be pruned and groomed in the early stages to leave a strong branch canopy system that will support the plant upon fruiting. The growing medium especially in water has to have extra means to support plant roots and hold the plant in an upright position. 7. Lighting Sunlight is need by plants to carry out photosynthesis to grow. It should be just enough as over exposure to heat can wilt the plants. In indoor urban farming and vertical farming, the lighting should be enough, well maintained and provide the appropriate wavelength required for plant growth. Plant biology should also be considered as some plants require more light than others to grow well. 8. Mulching Mulching involves covering the soil around the plants with dry grass or saw shedding. It’s done to conserve moisture in the soil by keeping it damp enough and preventing evaporation into the atmosphere.  The mulch also acts as organic fertilizer when it decomposes. 9. Spraying Spraying with pesticides and herbicides to control pests, diseases and parasites. Application should be done periodically not regularly and with care to ensure that correct amounts are applied depending on the 10. Potting

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organically certified

Get organically certified: spicy details and top 5 juicy advantages you need to know now.

urban farming

Organically certified produce is that which is grown without chemicals or additives. It’s highly regarded as environmentally sustainable, fresh and good for health. With the rise of diseases and health conditions related to food, people are now getting more and more mindful about what they eat. We are what we eat. A healthy life is built not only on lifestyle but also the food and it has to be nailed down to the nitty gritty of the lowest ingredients in the composition. Why you should consume organic food Depending on body type, health conditions, family history and allergic reactions; certain people cannot consume certain foods or certain ingredients because of their body type or medical condition. Consuming such can be extremely catastrophic and life-threatening even in the tiniest amounts. Moreover, most people aren’t aware that not everyone is not just supposed to eat everything. A visit to a nutritionist or a dietician can be very enlightening. One will learn that certain foods will help them thrive and live longer depending on their body composition. It’s also beneficial to eat a lot of fruit, drink water and get good sleep. Health is wealth. One should not consider spending good money on their health and good food as a loss. That’s a great investment. It will not be beneficial to have all the money in the world and not be healthy enough to enjoy it. That being said, commercial agriculture utilizes chemicals; pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers as part of the production process to produce large yields. These chemicals not only affect the soil profile and the environment in the long run but also residues show up in human food. These chemicals, allergens and toxicants have negative effects on health, especially on very young, very old and immune-compromised people. In the long run, people may develop disorders, poisoning effects, cancer, liver failure, gut, and heart problems. Notwithstanding the fact that genetically modified food (GMOs) is also big on the market. GMOs are food that’s produced from crops or plants that have been altered or combined with others in the laboratory. This is done to produce; pest and disease-resistant varieties, high-yielding crops, crops with new flavours or just entirely new admirable plant species. GMOs also affect human health and the environment. Unfortunately, we all mostly consume food where some of these chemicals have been applied at some stage of the production process. To curb these effects one needs to; What does being organically certified mean? Organically certified means an agribusiness, a farm or farmer produces food without using chemicals or additives. The food produced is in its natural original state. To do this, one must be engaging in organic farming throughout the crop production or agribusiness process. Organically certified produce has a sticker on it or on the pack labelling it so. This is called an organic label.                    How to get organically certified Organic certification is mostly in western countries of America and Europe. Bodies that give out organic certification include; USDA agents and, IFOAM certifying agents. To get organically certified, the following steps are taken Advantages of getting organically certified 1. Produce seen as high quality Organic produce is seen as traditional and high quality which makes it appealing to most of the general public. Organically certified farmers can easily get supply contracts with most restaurants, supermarkets and grocery stores. 2. Sold at high prices Due to its careful production, organic produce usually sells at a higher price as compared to other foods. With an organic label, a farmer can cash in well and be assured of a good return on investment in their organic farming endeavours. 3. Easily pass customs to sell in different countries Countries nowadays require imported food to pass stringent quality standards, especially in Europe. Organic produce that’s grown well can easily ace the standards tests especially if it has that certified label. This means a broader market to sell and more income for the farmer. 4. Promote sustainability and good health Organically certified produce is considered environmentally friendly as it doesn’t use chemicals that harm the planet and ecosystems. The absence of chemical usage even during handling and storage means that organic food isn’t harmful to our health. Promoting sustainable development and saving our planet is now very paramount. Organic produce, therefore, gets high priority on the market. 5. More nutritious Organic food is usually sold and consumed in its natural unprocessed unaltered state. The consumer, therefore, gets all the nutrients from the food. Farm 100% organic is great for health. Great for health is great for consumers which in turn is great for the farmer. Happy consumers = happy business. Conclusion Organic farming has great benefits both to our environment and our health. Farmers should strive to get organically certified because it’s advantageous to the market. Organic food is great for health. It’s important to eat well to live well and be happy.

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agriculture automation

Automation in agriculture: advantages. Savory reasons you should do it now.

agribusiness, urban farming

Automation in agriculture is the future. The advantages are numerous and the modern farmer or gardener can harness them all and grow big in a short time while maximizing profits and minimizing risks or loses  What is agriculture automation and modernisation Automation is the process of letting things get done almost by themselves while putting in less effort. This allows the farmer to prioritize other tasks, work efficiently and effectively. Who wouldn’t like to sit back and get some free time while getting the work done at the same time? Long-ago humans used to do every single bit of work themselves:  mailers used to travel thousands of miles to deliver mail on horses which would take months, businesses, and daily farm activities required 100% constant human labor which is no longer the case today thanks to the rise of technology and machines. You may be having a farm and you sell produce or you may be having an agricultural-related enterprise that would require labor and time to get things done and meet business goals. With automation, the process can be streamlined and done efficiently along the vertical and horizontal lines of production. Different units can also be run at the same time. There are a lot of machines today that can handle different day-to-day farm activities like milking, planting, weeding, harvesting, irrigation, and spraying. Automatic water supply, irrigation, feeding, and cleaning systems can also be incorporated into agricultural systems to get the work done at set intervals. The internet of things is also used in climate-smart agriculture and modern farming systems. Here, a range of interlinked farm devices and robotics are controlled at one central unit or tablet and linked via a network or the internet. These devices can include; There is a large amount of software today that can handle different day-to-day agribusiness activities: like emails, accounting, and bookkeeping, advertising. Marketing agricultural products can also be done online through digital marketing. 1.Saves time Labor that would have been done by many people is done efficiently and effectively in the shortest time possible. This frees the farmer time to do other farm activities 2.Eases work Machines do the work fast and easy peasy. At the tap of a button or a switch; a farmer can irrigate or spray crops, water animals, get environmental crop data, control all farm lights, and manage other parameters using machines in modern urban farming and agriculture. 3.Saves money Money is saved on labor and other costs like security. It’s also easy to monitor and manage farm activities. Wastage is also reduced. Inputs from one unit can be efficiently utilized in another unit. 4.High yields and profits As a result of increased efficiency and ease of work, farm yields and profits increase. Automated devices can also be used to monitor farm activities at a single point which data is used to foresee issues and avoid losses. 5.Possibility of growing on a large scale Food and animal production can be done easily and efficiently on a large scale since most of the work can be automated. Large-scale production results in increased profits for the farmer. 6.Ability to serve a large market. With large-scale production comes the ability to grow more and meet market demand both locally and internationally. 7.Possibility of growing a variety of crops and animals on the same piece of land Agricultural automation and modernization allow for easy integrated crop and animal production on the same piece of land. Different units can be set up, controlled, and monitored together. Output from one system can easily be transferred and used in another system. Its also easy to control pests and diseases. 8.Smooth business activities Agricultural automation and modernization allow a streamlined flow of farm activities, easing work while improving efficiency and effectiveness. 1. Very expensive Modern agricultural equipment ain’t cheap. Irrigation systems alone are very expensive and cannot be afforded by majority of the poor farmers. Besides most don’t exist in developing countries and importing them can also be very costly. 2.Lack of technical knowledge Equipment may require some good technical knowledge and expertise which most farmers may not have. 3. Maintenance issues To work properly, the equipment must be kept in pristine conditions. Regular routine checkups are required to make sure all equipment are working properly, no damages or blockages, and that replacements are done where need be. A technical person should always be a call away. 4. Increased power consumption The equipment uses electricity to run which increases the power bill at the farm. 5. Possibility of entire shutdown In cases the systems are interconnected and co-dependent, damage to one system can cause a shut down of the entire system. Results can also be affected especially when the problem wasn’t identified early enough and action is taken immediately. conclusion Agricultural automation and modernization are the future of agriculture. With the rise of world hunger, modern systems are needed to easy food production and efficiency so that the planet has enough food. It’s very expensive to start but it’s possible anywhere if you start small, incorporating one system at a time. Automation has great benefits to farm production if practiced in whatever form. Start today.

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organic farming

Organic farming. 10 wonderful advantages you didn’t know.

urban farming

Organic farming is the type of farming that doesn’t involve the use of chemicals like herbicides, pesticides. The products from here are purely natural and not under the influence of artificial means like hormones, drugs, chemicals, or Genetically Modified Organisms. Treatment, fertilization of plants is done using natural substitutes. The same goes for animals which are also raised chemical-free and are fed only organic food substitutes. Crop production also involves crop rotation, use of cover crops, and integrated pest and weed management.  Resistant good breed animal varieties are used to produce high-quality animals and combat pests, diseases, and other hardships. Organic farming tackles the increasing environmental concerns (pollution, climate change), chemical usage in agriculture, and health issues like cancer associated with most agricultural products nowadays.  There are farms that sell organic products in supermarkets and these have labels/ seals that tag them as organic. However, to do so, a farmer/company has to get certified by certain bodies and their products will be “organically certified”.  Products labeled as “100% organic” must contain overall natural nutrients excluding water and salt.  Products labeled just “organic” must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients excluding salt and water.  In the USA for example, certification is done by the USDA and the NOP. Advantages of organic farming. 1. Ecological and conservation benefits; prevents soil degradation, erosion, and contamination decreases pollution, optimizes biological productivity, biodiversity protection, and environmental protection. 2. Development of resistant crop and animal varieties as they’d be exposed to natural hardy conditions which will make them adapt and become better. Such varieties can resist drought, pests, diseases, and vectors. 3. Health benefits; organic products are chemical-free implying no incidences of diseases like cancer or poisoning. 4. High-quality products. Organic products taste better and are more nutrient-rich compared to their chemically and artificially produced counterparts. 5. High market and demand for organic products makes their production a lucrative venture. With increasing health awareness, most people nowadays are resorting to buying such products. Doing business in such an area is thus something everyone would need to look into. 6. costs of starting and operating an organic farm make it a profitable niche. Additional costs of chemical fertilization and any artificial inputs are cut off thus reducing production costs. 7. Workers on organic farms enjoy a clean and contamination-free environment as the necessity of wearing protective gear like masks and gloves to avoid exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides is avoided. 8. Organic farming pest control measures like crop rotation, use of organic pesticides, use of resistant varieties, and predator-prey pest control methods help to naturally kill off pests and parasites on farms and prevent incidences like pest and vector resurgence that arise as a result of continued usage of chemical control on farms. The result is that the pests and vectors multiply instead much stronger and more resilient than before. 9. Soil protection. Crop rotation and the use of organic manure to fertilize the soil result in improved soil fertility without harming the soil and its fauna by using harmful chemical substitutes. The use of cover crops helps to prevent soil erosion and fix nitrogen into the soil by leguminous cover crops. 10. Organic farming minimizes wastage and facilitates integrated agriculture. outputs from one system of the farm can be used in another unit for example organic manure from the animals can be used to fertilize crops. Bottom line. Organic farming is a very important aspect to invigorate in farming systems we have today to do away with harmful chemicals and get food in its natural form. Besides health and environmental benefits, organic agriculture has numerous other advantages soeveryoe should practice it on their farms, gardens and lives.

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Top 10 hydroponic growing media you should be using today.

urban farming

Different hydroponic growing media are used by farmers depending on the type of hydroponic system used or their individual requirements. Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil. A nutrient-rich water solution is instead used to provide plants with the nutrients that they need. Hydroponics is very popular nowadays because of its ease of use and management. It is one of the best indoor urban farming systems used in modern agriculture and most commercial urban farms. Soil is used in traditional agriculture to provide support and act as a substrate upon which plants grow and receive their nourishment.  However, in hydroponic growing, nutrient-rich solutions are used to provide nutrients and different growing media are used to act as a substrate that supports the plants and also help in delivering nutrients and oxygen to their roots. The media can be supplied in slabs, blocks, and plugs or in a bulk form from which the farmer can pick and fill on growing trays, buckets or bags in which the plants are grown. Whichever media that you choose, your choice will depend on; 1.The types of plants that you are growing. Larger plants may require stronger intact media like gravel that can fully support their stems and plants roots compared to smaller plants like micro greens which have smaller roots. 2. The cost of the media Depending on the region where the farmer comes from, the media should be very affordable and readily available. Breaking even from a hydroponic farm usually comes at a later date so it’s always important to keep the startup costs minimal and not too overwhelming. 3. The type of hydroponic system that you are using. Different growing media work best with different hydroponic systems, for example, perlite is very ideal for wicking systems while gravel is good for flood systems because it doesn’t absorb water. 4. The water holding capacity of the media. For hydroponic systems that aren’t in continuous flow like the flood and drain system, it’s always good to have media that has a higher water holding capacity to hold water long enough for the plant roots to absorb nutrients from it. 5. The durability of the media The media should be long lasting and reusable i.e. not used just for a single growing cycle. This helps to curbs expenses 6. The air holding capacity of the media The media should be able to provide good aeration to the plants’ roots. 7. The nutrient exchange capacity of the media. The media should be able to hold and at the same time release nutrients to plants. If the media can’t release nutrients to plants from the aqueous solution, then they won’t be able to grow well. 8. Clean and contaminant free The media should be clean and free from pathogens and contaminants and at the same time, it should not support their growth and replication.  9. Ease of maintenance The media should be easy to clean, flush or sterilize 10. The needs of the farmer. Some farmers may want to use organic growing media while others may prefer inorganic media. These are the best growing media used in hydroponics 1. ROCK WOOL Rock wool are cotton candy like fibers made from coke, limestone and volcanic rock. It is made available in plugs, blocks or slabs. Pros Cons 2. PERLITE Made from volcanic rock, perlite is amongst the most commonly used hydroponic growing media. It is best for wicking hydroponic systems. It can also be used in aeroponics and drip hydroponic systems  It is made available in different grades from fine to coarse to support growing at all stages; seedling to adult plant. Pros Cons 4. VERMICULITE Pros Cons 5. EXPANDED CLAY PEBBLES Expanded clay pebbles are made by heating clay in kilns at high temperatures. They are available in sizes ranging from 1- 18 mm. They are also called grow rocks. This is best for drip or ebb and flow hydroponic systems. Pros Cons 6. FOAM This is majorly used to grow seedlings in nursery beds. It is also called phenolic/ peat or floral foam. Pros 7.COCO AIR This is made from coconut husks and is a byproduct of the coconut industry. It is also known as coco peat/ ultra-peat/ coco tektite is mostly sold in blocks or slabs. Pros Cons 8. GRAVEL This is most commonly used in drip and flood systems because it cannot absorb water Pros Cons 9. Sand Pros  Cons 10. Pumice Pros  Cons Bottomline Hydroponic growing media are very many and after having read this post, you’ll be able to decide which the right choice for your system is and plant growing needs. Other hydroponic media used include; rice hulls, and sawdust. These also have their advantages and disadvantages. Choice of the right growing media will determine and affect the growth of your plants, the management and the type of system that you are going to use for your hydroponic farm.

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aquaponics

What is aquaponics? Advantages and disadvantages.

urban farming

Aquaponics is one of the top urban farming methods that is an integration of aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture is the rearing of aquatic animals like fish in a closed and controlled artificial environment. Fish are reared in circular or rectangular plastic tanks where they are provided with pellet food and water parameters like oxygen levels, solid concentration and carbon dioxide are kept constant. Hydroponics refers to the growing of plants in a soilless nutritious medium. There are different hydroponic systems though in them all plants receive nutrition via their roots How aquaponics operates The fish in the tank consume feed and excrete nitrogenous waste into the water. The waste water along with the uneaten food is the pumped to the bio filter unit from where it is broken down broken down by bacteria and fungi into simpler nutrients. Nutritious water from the bio filter is then pumped into the hydroponic   unit where the growing plants use the nutrients for their growth. In doing so, the plants help to clean the water. It is then pumped to a reservoir after some time and pumped back to the fish growing system. Fish reared include; Plants grown in the hydroponic unit include; NB; It is very important to note that the plants grown in aquaponics have very minimal nutrient requirements.   1.Fish tanks This is where the fish are raised and live. The tanks can be rectangular or circular and are usually made of plastic. Optimum water conditions for the growth of fish are kept maintained at all times like PH, oxygen levels and temperature. An air stone is put in the water to keep it oxygenated and feeding is done at regular intervals. 2. Bio filter Water from the fish tank containing nitrous waste and uneaten food is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonous and azotobactor) and fungi into simpler compounds from here. excess solids are also removed from here. The water is then pumped to the hydroponic unit. 3.The water pump This is used to move water along the system and distribute it to the individual components. 4. Hydroponic unit This is where the plants are grown. The major hydroponic systems used in aquaponics are; This is the most popular system used even by most commercial aquaponics farms. The plants in a large container float in a foam raft structure with their roots dangling into the nutrient-rich water from the biofilter that flows at the bottom. The plants’ roots are supposed by mesh pots. 2. Nutrient film technology Here nutrient water from the biofilter is made to go down along a slopping channel where the nutrients are absorbed by the plant roots. The plants are arranged equidistantly in a row with the crown above and the roots in the channel.  Mesh pots are sometimes used to support the plants and in some instances, media like gravel can be used to support the roots. The NFT is used in commercial indoor vertical farming to grow leafy vegetables. 3. Media filled beds Here containers are filled with porous stones or clay pellets that facilitate plant growth. Water from the biofilter is then pumped into the system to provide nutrients for plant growth. 4. Vertical aquaponics Here tower systems, PVC NFT pipe channels and vertical deep water culture units are used to grow plants while stacked in rows on top of each other. Advantages of aquaponics Disadvantages of aquaponics Bottom line Aquaponics is a great way to simultaneously farm greens and grow vegetables. The benefits are many and DIY units can be made by farmers and people to practice hydroponics at a small scale and also at home in their backyards.

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hydroponics systems

The best types of hydroponic systems used in urban farming today.

urban farming

Hydroponic systems are different and the use of each type depends on the needs of the farmer , capital availability, feasibility, and market demand. Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil using a nutrient-rich aqueous media from which they get nourishment. The plants receive dissolved nutrients from the liquid solution directly to their roots allowing them to grow faster and yield greatly. 1. Nutrient film technology This is the most popular system that is used in many commercial urban farms to grow small and fast-growing leafy plants like microgreens. A water pump is used to continuously distribute nutrient solution from a large reservoir to plant roots via slopping channels that allow the excess to drain back. Plants are arranged in a single row on grow tray channels and their roots receive a steady stream of nutrient solution from one end to the other. The excess solution which flows back to the reservoir is then enriched with nutrients and pumped back to the plants. The channels are placed at an angle to allow the water to flow back to the return pipe and be circulated again through the system. An ideal sustainable flow rate is also set depending on the growth stage of the plants. Plants can also be further supported using net pots that allow their roots to seep throw into the nutrient channel. The upside The downside 2.  Ebb and flow system This system uses the “flood and drain technique.” Plants are grown in a growing medium like gravel, perlite, or rock wool on a tray which is flooded with nutrient solution from the reservoir at regular periodically timed intervals by a pump. The excess water then filters off back to the reservoir via the overflow pipe to maintain the water level in order to avoid swamping the plants. After sometime, the water is all drained away into the reservoir and new water is pumed in.   The pump can further be equiped with a timer to enable it to flood the tray with nutrient solution at regular intervals  The upsides 3. Deep water culture system In this system, the plants are held floating directly in the nutrient containing reservoir tank. The roots are submerged into the still solution while the crown is above. The upsides The down sides 4. Wick systems This uses a technique similar to that of a wick lamp or stove and is the simplest hydroponic system. Capillary action moves the nutrients up to the growing medium (rock wool, perlite or vermiculite) from the reservoir via a wicking system which is usually made of cotton, fabric or nylon rope. The upsides The downsides 5. Drip hydroponic system Just like in a drip irrigation system, Here plants individually receive the nutrient solution via a drip pipe which is pumped at timed regular intervals from the reservoir tank. The excess solution can then drain back to the reservoir in the recovery drip system, unlike the non-recovery drip system. The upside The downside 6. Aeroponics  In aeroponics, plants are suspended with their roots hanging in the air. A pressurized pump is then used to spray the plant roots with nutrients in the form of a mist from the reservoir at regular timed intervals. The upsides The down sides conclusion Hydroponics is a very effective urban farming method that can be used to grow crops anywhere faster and relatively cheaper. Hydroponics is used in by many commercial indoor vertical farming companies to grow crops for sale showing how effective it is. However different systems have different advantages and shortcomings. The most common hydroponic farming systems used are; the Nutrient film technique system, aeroponics, and ebb and flow. Traditional systems like the wick system can also be used at home to grow crops by buying small kits on amazon or other suppliers for growing leafy vegetables. There are very many DIY (do it yourself) makeshift hydroponic systems that people can make to start growing crops at home using plastics like tins, cans, buckets and other recyclable materials to help you get stared today.

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