Abstract Detail
Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS Thompson , Bryan Keith [1]. Comparison of hydroponics to conventional agriculture: Analysis of overall yield, biomass and root growth of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Hydroponics is the future of agriculture. Historically, it has produced more crops per square foot, utilizing less space and generating less waste, than conventional farming. The objective of this undergraduate research project is to demonstrate the effective and efficient use of two different models of hydroponic horticulture methods to cultivate Ocimum basilicum and Solanum lycopersicum and how they compare in growth and biomass measurements. The basil will be cultured in an aeroponic system, while the tomatoes will be grown in a deep water culture system. The control groups of each plant will be cultivated in soil to monitor contrast between both methods of horticulture. Daily measurements from the surface of the medium to the apical meristem will monitor growth rate compared to soil growth rate. (Hydroponics is famed for exponential growth rates). Additional biomass measurements will be compared at the end of the fruiting cycle. Both hydroponics and soil systems are being provided organic nutrients,using higher nitrogen levels in the vegetative phase and higher phosphorous levels in the later stages. Additives such as seaweed extract, humic acids, and root stimulators are also being implemented on control and experimental plantings. This experiment will demonstrate the expedited growth and harvest in a non-traditional system, as well as the ecological impact hydroponics can have on communities around the world. Broader Impacts:
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1 - SUNY Plattsburgh, Biological Sciences, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY, 12901, USA
Keywords:
Hydroponics
soilless.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P
Location: Battelle South/Convention Center
Date: Monday, July 9th, 2012
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PBR004
Abstract ID:831 | 