-housewives also buying into the concept
THE ‘show and tell’ strategy is doing fairly well for the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) as it endeavours to advance the concept of hydroponic farming by way of site demonstrations. Sites, of which there are three, are located at the institute’s Mon Repos headquarters on the East Coast Demerara, and at the Kairuni Horticulture Station and Timehri Research and Demonstration Facility, both in  the Upper Demerara/ Berbice districts of Region Ten.

According to research scientist and Head of the institute’s Climate Change and Agricultural Adaptation Unit, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie, the concept is a climate change adaptation mechanism, and is receiving increasing attention from stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants. Here in Guyana, the method is applied to mostly green leafy produce, using mineral-enhanced nutrient solutions in water without soil.

Researchers in the 19th Century discovered that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir, but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant’s water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching.

Chintamanie said that at present, hydroponic farming is being practised by the average farmer in Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands) and Five (Mahaica/ Berbice).

NARI began looking closely at hydroponics as an alternative farming method since last June, and since then, there has been successful crops as well as advancements at the different demonstration sites. Chintamanie noted that while it is not necessary, setting up the hydroponics in an enclosure protected by insect mesh and UV plastic as roofing material to protect from the sun’s radiation is advisable.

“In areas where the land is arid and the soil is poor, you cannot have much production from it, so you can introduce the hydroponics operation… The mineral nutrient solution consists of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. These are the main elements. In the morning, you water the plants with 40 milliliters of the solution, and in the afternoon with water,” he said.

Chintamanie stressed the need to use “clean water” or rain water to assist the plants’ growth.

At NARI’s demonstration site at Mon Repos, he noted that the hydroponics set-up there has produced good yields.

“The plants can grow better, and they do grow better in this way,” Chintamanie said.

And at the Timehri Research and Demonstration Facility, Assistant Supervisor Mr. Dork Bess reports that many farmers are intrigued by the process, and are able to have a better idea of how the concept works.

“It brings out the idea better. Instead of telling them, you show them the hydroponics setup; they come and see for themselves. A lot of people who visited here have already set up their own little operation,” Bess said.

Similar sentiments were made at the Kairuni Horticulture Station by the Supervisor there, Ms. Joan Klass.

It was also reported that aside from the farmers who expressed an interest in going hydroponic and were given the necessary support to make the switch, larger groups such as the Guyana Defence Force were also provided with technical support to start hydroponic homesteads of their own.

Advantages
Some of the reasons why hydroponics is being adapted around the world for food production are the following:

·         No soil is needed;

·         The water stays in the system and can be reused- thus, lower water costs;

·         It is possible to control the nutrition levels in their entirety- thus, lower nutrition costs;

·         No nutrition pollution is released into the environment because of the controlled system;

·         Stable and high yields; and

·         Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of than in soil because of the container’s mobility.

Reports are that today, hydroponics is an established branch of agronomy.

Progress has been rapid, and results obtained in various countries have proved it to be thoroughly practical and to have very definite advantages over conventional methods of horticulture.

The two chief merits of the soil-less cultivation of plants are, first, much higher crop yields, and second, hydroponics can be used in places where in-ground agriculture or gardening is not possible.

Thus, not only is it a profitable undertaking, but one which has proved of great benefit to humanity. People living in crowded city streets, without gardens, can grow fresh vegetables and fruits in window-boxes or on rooftops. By means of hydroponics, all such places can be made to yield a regular and abundant supply of fresh greens.

Other advantages include faster growth, combined with relative freedom from soil disease, and consistency in crops.

There is also a considerable reduction in growing area.

Weeds are practically non-existent, while standard methods and automatic operations mean less labour, lower costs, and less difficult manual labour.

As some plants can be raised out of season, better control of crops naturally results.

Salmonella
However, as with all things, there are disadvantages and primary among those is that the hydroponic conditions (presence of fertilizer and high humidity) have been said to create an environment that stimulates salmonella growth.

Chintamanie, in response to how this advantage is addressed, maintained that the stimulation of salmonella is not an issue for Guyana since the hydroponic conditions here are  different.

“We use the paddy husk and white sand. This is different from conditions seen with hydroponic setups in other places. Salmonella is not something we have to worry about,” he affirmed.

Training and development
Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Director of NARI, in an interview with the Chronicle said hydroponics introduces the average Guyanese to opportunities.

“At the household level, there are opportunities not to do all crops but for basic things like celery and lettuce and a host of others… Womenfolk are the ones who are mostly involved in this,” he said.

In light of this, NARI has ongoing training to facilitate those interested in pursuing hydroponics. Training sessions were done in Charity, on the Essequibo Coast; in East Berbice, and on the East Bank of Demerara among other locations. The hinterland communities are also being specifically targeted since they are keen on the concept, Dr. Homenauth said.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has developed a training programme… Right now we are try
ing to complete simple manuals, and we are trying to complete brochures so that the information is available,” he added.

Plans are also in the pipeline, he said, to have farmers housed at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) during the August holidays, when the students are on vacation and have them participate in training sessions that extend to more than just one day.

“We have not advertised yet; this way, we hope to see more interest. People will have a more hands-on practise with the hydroponics; this is not the usual one or two-hour sessions, but will be dedicated session,” he said.

Homenauth observed that the demonstration sites have taken the training efforts a step further; that since costs is always an important factor to consider, what the demonstration site does is create a model for cost-effective practices.

“There are a number of crops we have grown with hydroponics…What we have done is analyze the cost. We now know the cost of establishing a structure,” Homenauth said, adding that there are many benefits associated with using hydroponics.

He noted that while hydroponics is not largely commercialized here, there are quite a few persons who engage in this concept on a “fairly large scale.” But for the time being, he said,  the advancement of the hydroponics concept is focused at the level of domestic production.

Backyard set-ups
He said that while there is an ever increasing interest in hydroponics in some areas, there is a pressing need to get more and more people on board.

“Hydroponics is not being widely accepted for whatever reason; people have their little backyards where they plant, but from the time it rains, or there are very dry periods, you are in trouble,” Dr. Homenauth said.

Hydroponics, he said, is a concept that does not require much effort and is convenient, even more so than planting kitchen gardens. He is however of the opinion that while hydroponics does have its advantages, it is not something to be forced on people.

“If I say that one in four or one in ten persons will adopt hydroponics by a certain time, I will not be able to justify that. It is something that we encourage, but the onus is on the individual,” he opined.

He added that once started, planting crops using the hydroponics system will “not take two minutes” of one’s time.