Growing produce using hydroponics to be showcased in Ohio
Written Friday, September 18, 2009
Ohio lettuce growers looking for new, innovative ways of growing produce year-round have hydroponics as a viable alternative. The technology will be demonstrated during Ohio’s Farm Science Review, Sept. 22-24 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London.
Robert Hansen, an Ohio State University agricultural engineer, will share research results from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Hydroponics Lettuce Research Laboratory. Hansen is collaborating with CropKing, Inc. on installing and maintaining a hydroponics system, 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,” Hansen said. “Hydroponics provides the potential to grow produce year-round, giving consumers access to locally grown vegetables.”
Hydroponics is a method of growing crops without soil, with nutrients delivered to the plant via water. 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.
The project, which evaluates the viability of using a hydroponics system in Ohio, is funded by a three-year U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. Harvest after the first year yielded more than 300 heads of lettuce from a 12-by-12-foot hydroponics system. Look for the hydroponics demonstration unit at Farm Science Review near the diagnostics tent along Friday Avenue of the exhibitor grounds.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension and OARDC. It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.
Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 22-23 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24.
For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu .
More Options
Email this story to a friend
