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          Farms and Agricultural Production Systems
          HydroponicsHydroponics

  Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil, and can include an aggregate substrate, or growing media, such as vermiculite, coconut coir, or perlite. Hydroponic production systems are used by small farmers, hobbyists, and commercial enterprises.
According to USDA: "Growing plants in water culture or sand culture without soil are procedures that have been used by physiologists studying plant nutrition and by other plant scientists for more than a century." (*Growing Crops Without Soil.* Beltsville, MD: USDA, rev 1965.)
This page provides links to current and historical research publications as well as information from universities and extension.


  Hydroponics for Home Growers
        
                  Selected Resources from University and Extension
    
    Hydroponics
              Oklahoma State University Extension.
Learn about the history of hydroponics, growing systems, nutrient management, and more. Hydroponics is used to cultivate ornamental crops, herbs, and multiple vegetable types including cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes. Growing systems can be designated as either liquid (closed) or aggregate (open or closed), with the closed-types requiring Nutrient Management Techniques.


      Building a Floating Hydroponic Garden
              University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.
Follow this step-by-step guide and companion video to create a floating hydroponic garden.


      Hydroponic Systems
              University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.
This factsheet and graphics define hydroponics and the six types of hydroponics systems.  It provides step-by-step instructions, with images, and lists the required tools and materials needed to build a basic hydroponic systems.


      Hydroponic Greenhouse. Virtual Field Day Videos
              University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.


      Home Hydroponics
              University of Illinois Extension.
Find introductory hydroponic information for the home grower.


      Ask your Extension Service Agent
              Your local Extension Service Agent may provide information and advice on everything from building a small hydroponics system to selecting plants.

  Explore Books Online
    
    Hydroponic Food Production*A Definitive Guidebook for the Advanced Home Gardener and the Commercial Hydroponics Grower.*Resh, Howard M.  Woodbridge  Publishing Company.  5th ed. 1997

    Access the Guide
      
              Aquaculture and Hydroponics 1968-1978Charles N. Beebe*Bibliographies and Literature of Agriculture*, BLA-2, May 1979USDA. National Agricultural Library

    Discover Books
      
              Water-Culture Method for Growing Plants Without SoilHoagland, D.R. and D.I. Arnon. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1950.

    Learn About Water Culture


  Research and Discoveries
    
    The *Vegetable Crops Hotline* offered this quote:  "The first research published on the production of spearmint in water was conducted by John Woodward in 1699. Discoveries made in the late 19th century by German scientists Sachs and Knop resulted in the development of the technique of soilless cultivation. This work inspired Dr. W.F. Gericke (University of California) in the 1920’s to develop a solution culture technique. Following his work, Hoagland and Arnon (University of California) developed a complete hydroponic nutrient solution in 1938, the ‘Hoagland Solution’. The solution was modified several times by different researchers. However, the soilless cultivation technique was first used on a large scale during World War II to produce food for the American troops stationed on the in fertile Pacific islands." [Langenhoven, P. "Opportunities in Hydroponics." *Vegetable Crops Hotline*. 609: March 14, 2016]

  Access to Research Articles
  

      Comparison of growth characteristics, functional qualities, and texture of hydr...
      Hydroponics with wastewater: a review of trends and opportunities
      Bacterial siderophores efficiently provide iron to iron-starved tomato plants i...
      Urban hydroponics for green and clean cities and for food security Schnitzler, ...
      A redundant hydraulic function of root hairs in barley plants grown in hydropon...See all 5,361 results
      
              Search the NAL Collection
  

      Hydroponics and Protected Cultivation : A Practical Guide.
      Advances in hydroponics research.
      Hydroponic food production : a definitive guidebook for the advanced home garde...
      Effect of nitrogen levels and harvest timing on growth, yield and quality of le...
      Exploring the integration of bioelectrochemical systems and hydroponics: Possib...See all 2,472 results

  The History of Soilless Growing
    
    Stuart, Neil W. "About Hydroponics,"  In: *Science in Farming:  The Yearbook of Agriculture 1943-1947*. USDA. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1947.

    Read "About Hydroponics"
      
              View: Image of *Growing Crops Without Soil.* Beltsville, MD: USDA, revised 1965. History Collection. Series II. Box 2/21. Folder: "Hydroponics. 1965-1979." Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.

    Read the original 1954 Report
      
              Image of "General Mills' Big Gamble on Indoor Farming." *Dun' Review*. 1979. History Collection. Series II. Box 2/21. Folder: "Hydroponics. 1965-1979." Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.

    View the Image


  Important Link
    
    Aquaculture and AquaponicsPage Content Curated By
    

      Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC)
    Special Collections
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