Complete Guide For Growing Plants Hydroponically

Description: With the continued implementation of new equipment and new concepts and methods, such as hydroponics and soilless practices, crop growth has improved and become more efficient. Focusing on the basic principles and practical growth requirements, the Complete Guide for Growing Plants Hydroponically offers valuable information for the commercial grower, the researcher, the hobbyist, and the student interested in hydroponics. It provides details on methods of growing that are applicable to a range of environmental growing systems. The author begins with an introduction that covers the past, present, and future of hydroponics. He also describes the basic concepts behind how plants grow, followed by several chapters that present in-depth practical details for hydroponic growing systems: The essential plant nutrient elements The nutrient solution Rooting media Systems of hydroponic culture Hydroponic application factors These chapters cover the nutritional requirements of plants and how to best prepare and use nutrient solutions to satisfy plant requirements, with different growing systems and rooting media, under a variety of conditions. The book gives many nutrient solution formulas and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various hydroponic systems. It also contains a chapter that describes a school project, which students can follow to generate nutrient element deficiency symptoms and monitor their effects on plant growth.

Contents: Introduction Introduction Hydroponics defined Is hydroponics a science? Hydroponic terminology Historical past The future of hydroponics Hydroponic practice and the art of hydroponics Value of the hydroponic method Internet Units of measure Abbreviations How plants grow Introduction Photosynthesis Soil fertility factors The plant root Water content and uptake Ion uptake Root surface chemistry The essential plant nutrient elements Introduction Terminology Criteria for essentiality The major elements The micronutrients Content in plants Function in plants Forms of utilization The beneficial elements Element substitution Visual plant symptoms of elemental deficiency or excess The nutrient solution Introduction Water quality Water pH Water and nutrient solution filtering and sterilization Weights and measures Nutrient solution reagents Nutrient solution formulations General purpose/use formulations Plant species requirement adjustments of the nutrient solution Nutrient solution control Methods and timing of nutrient solution delivery Constancy Programmable controllers Summary Rooting media Introduction Perlite Rockwool Coir Elemental content of perlite, rockwool, and coir Systems of hydroponic culture Introduction Mediumless hydroponic systems Rooting medium hydroponic systems Hydroponic application factors Introduction Progressive developments Nutrient solution formulations and their use Cultivar/variety availability and selection Constancy Grower skill and competence Factors for success Controlled-environment agriculture Outdoor hydroponics Home gardener/hobby hydroponic grower Educational role Introduction Demonstration project Nutrient element deficiency experiments References Hydroponic reference books Cited References Appendix A: Measurement factors Appendix B: Essential element summarization tables Appendix C: Diagnostic testing Appendix D: Common errors made when plants are grown hydroponically Index

Author Biography: J. Benton Jones, Jr., earned a BS degree in agricultural science from the University of Illinois and obtained MS and PhD degrees in agronomy from the Pennsylvania State University. He has written extensively on hydroponic topics and has been engaged in hydroponic research projects for much of his professional career. Dr. Jones is considered an authority on applied plant physiology and the use of analytical methods for assessing the nutrient element status of rooting media and plants as a means for ensuring plant nutrient element sufficiency in both soil and soilless crop production settings. At various times, he has served as a director of several university and commercial soil and plant analysis laboratories, and he still serves as an advisor for two such laboratories.