Calling all plant parents!
Today’s “plantitos” and “plantitas” may start exploring “Hydroponic Household Garden,” a smart agricultural technology which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).
This “soilless vegetable gardening” is defined as a complete set of a hydroponic system for leafy vegetables and herbs that one can easily manage even in the backyard.
It was Dr. Chito Sace of Hydroponics and Aquaponics Technology of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, who introduced the Hydroponic Household Garden as another means of crop battlefield.
“This simple plant factory which can produce up to 360 plants per one square meter area takes place in a protected and controlled structure such as a greenhouse,” the DOST said.
It described Hydroponic Household Garden as a ‘soilless vegetable gardening’ model that uses a ‘one pump rule’ system, where one pump takes the water from the tank full of nutrient solution to the highest portion of the growing system.
Sace, who serves as a project leader, said leafy vegetables and herbs are ready for harvest after 30 days or less.
He said setting up a hydroponic garden is very simple and easy to manage since the production is a cycle, just like how a crop is planted in soil, except the extra work such as hoeing, weeding, and watering.
He said passion and study of farming or gardening are key ingredients for a successful hydroponic garden.
“Hydroponic is not a new design of gardening/farming in the country but it is one of the smart agricultural technologies that can help the country ensure food security and to be climate resistant in the future,” the DOST said.
Hydroponics as precision and smart technique seeks to promote the economic welfare of local farmers, as well as the consumers and the next generation.
This is among the technologies that will be showcased in the upcoming virtual celebration of the 2021 National Science and Technology Week from Nov. 22 to 28.