WINTON Camacho has a lot of ingenious ideas, but he is realistic and is doing the most to promote hydroponics at his dad’s place in Lancaster, Mahaica, and at his home in Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

The 23-year-old, who is an offshore employee, told the Pepperpot Magazine that he studied aquaponics and hydroponics in Trinidad and Tobago and Australia, and when he returned home to Guyana, he incorporated his knowledge into a hydroponics farm.

Camacho said that usually, pak choi and lettuce take four to six weeks to fully grow, but with hydroponics, it takes only three weeks, and there is no need for any soil, since it is purely water-based, using PVC pipes, a water tank and a pump system.

Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without using soil. Hydroponic flowers, herbs, and vegetables are planted in inert growing media, and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water.

This system fosters rapid growth, stronger yields, and superior quality. When a plant is grown in soil, its roots perpetually search for the necessary nutrition to support it.
If a plant’s root system is exposed directly to water and nutrition, it does not have to exert any energy to sustain itself.

The energy the roots would have expended acquiring food and water can be redirected into the plant’s maturation. As a result, leaf growth flourishes, as does the blooming of fruits and flowers.
Plants sustain themselves through a process called photosynthesis, whereby they capture sunlight with chlorophyll, a green pigment present in their leaves.
They use the light’s energy to split water molecules they’ve absorbed via their root system. The hydrogen molecules combine with carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates, which plants use to nourish themselves.

Oxygen is then released into the atmosphere, a crucial factor in preserving our planet’s habitability. Plants do not need soil to photosynthesise.
They need the soil to supply them with water and nutrients. When nutrients are dissolved in water, they can be applied directly to the plant’s root system by flooding, misting, or immersion.
Hydroponic innovations have proven direct exposure to nutrient-filled water can be a more effective and versatile method of growth than traditional irrigation (Information sourced from Fresh Water Systems website).

Camacho told the Pepperpot Magazine that hydroponics is low maintenance and the water used is recycled, and you just have to top up on the nutrients, which are very expensive and sourced via Amazon.
He explained that based on studies, hydroponics is an old technology that been around before must of us but it is back with a bit of a modern twist, such as electricity and a water pump.
“I am here at my dad’s place in Mahaica to lend some assistance because I does be working 28 days on and 28 days off and when I am here, I try to do the farming because he would need the lettuce to make his burgers for sale,” he said.

Camacho added that he designed and built the current hydroponics setup they have at his father’s place and the one at his mother’s residence in Amelia’s Ward, Linden and they do not buy certain vegetables they grow.
He reported that he bought regular pvc pipes but the uni-seals, foam and net cups were sourced from overseas and he is always experimenting with introducing newer methods to hydroponics and will soon embark on more aquaponics.

Camacho was the star of the Agriculture Expo held earlier this year at the Guyana national Stadium, Providence. His methods of farming with only

water was a hit among exhibitors and visitors.
He made the front page of the Guyana Chronicle in 2021 by introducing hydroponics.

Camacho was born and raised in Lancaster, Mahaica, so he is no stranger to the countryside and when he is not at work, he is either by his father or mother, but he likes his home village.
The young man related that they had an old house at his dad’s place before a new house, a concrete on-flat house was constructed and they have a shop and a thriving food business of burgers.
“I would like to do more farming, but there isn’t space for that expansion and I have applied for farmlands and it has been two years I am waiting for my project to be realised. As a pioneer in agriculture promotion, I need the land to start hydroponics and aquaponics farming,” he said.
Camacho told the Pepperpot Magazine that he has developed a hydroponics system at his mother’s residence where they have 68 plants, green seasonings, and most vegetables.
He stated that growing your own food is essential in saving money and is a healthier, organic option.