by LUIS RODRIGUEZ, UF/IFAS Extension Polk County
Each year, the availability of agricultural land in Florida continues to decline. One of the reasons is the expansion of urban development. This trend presents increasing challenges for farmers seeking land to cultivate crops.
According to the 2020 United States Census, Florida recorded a population of 21,538,187 in 2020. Estimates for mid- to late 2025 project the state’s population to reach approximately 23.3-23.8 million. If this increase in population growth and urbanization continues, farmers will encounter challenges with land resources (land availability), reducing the space available for traditional agriculture.
In response to these challenges, innovative approaches for growing crops are being explored. One of these methods is the use of hydroponic systems, a soil-less system of growing plants in water with nutrients that offers a viable alternative for farmers. Hydroponic systems can be implemented in small spaces and controlled environments, making them especially useful in highly populated areas or land with space limitations.
What Is a Hydroponic System?
Hydroponic means “water working,” referring to the method of growing plants without soil in a water solution. Under normal conditions, the soil provides both structural support and essential nutrients for crops. Hydroponic systems will mimic the conditions present in the soil, providing structural support through substrates and delivering nutrients through a water-based solution, effectively replacing the role of soil in conventional agriculture.
Advantages of Hydropic Systems:
- Substitutions of the soil and possible reduction of pesticide use: Growing in a water solution without soil could lead to minimized weed growth, decreasing the need for pesticides.
- Space-efficient: You can implement vertical farming in conjunction with hydroponics. Vertical stacking allows the farmer to have higher crop yields per unit area. In areas with limited space, hydroponics can be advantageous.
- Versatile growing environments: Suitable for indoor, greenhouse, residential, or field cultivation. Indoor production can reduce pest exposure.
- Reduces soilborne diseases: Absence of soil can lower risks of root-knot nematodes and other pathogens found on the soil.
- Nutrient control: Nutrient levels in the water solution can be accurately managed and measured to optimize plant growth.
Disadvantages of Hydroponic Systems:
- High initial investment: Hydroponic systems’ materials are more costly than conventional farming due to their specialized parts/equipment and energetic needs.
- Crop limitations: Certain tall crops, such as corn, sorghum, and sunflowers, are unsuitable for some hydroponic methods, such as the NFT systems.
Types of Hydroponic Systems
Some hydroponics systems available include:
- Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): The NFT is a widely used hydroponic system that recirculates the nutrient solution through PVC pipes for plant nutrition. This system is suitable for outdoor, indoor, and greenhouse environments. It is ideal for growing herbs, leafy greens, strawberries, and other short-term, low-growing crops. The system relies on an electric pump to maintain nutrient flow and can be purchased prefabricated or custom-built by growers.
- Floating Raft Systems: A floating raft system that uses Styrofoam rafts with holes that float on nutrient-rich water, making them ideal for short-season, shallow-rooted crops like lettuce, basil, and other small herbs. While high-tech versions can be expensive to build and maintain, low-tech models have been successfully implemented on small farms in Florida.
- Vertical Hydroponic Systems: Hydroponic systems can be designed as vertical farming setups, functioning similarly to other vertical systems but without the use of soil. Instead, structural support is provided by the tower design and inert substrates, while a nutrient-rich water solution is distributed throughout the tower to sustain plant growth.
A Practical Alternative
As agricultural land becomes less available in Florida, hydroponics offers a practical, space-efficient alternative for growing food. Despite higher investment costs, its ability to conserve space, possible reduction of pest problems, nutrient control, and the ability to have higher yields per acre make hydroponics a promising solution for future farmers.
For more information about hydroponics, read the following “Ask IFAS” Publications:
Hydroponic Vegetable Production in Florida
Growing Lettuce in Small Hydroponic Systems
Luis Rodriguez is the Polk County Small Farms and Pesticide Education Extension Agent. You can reach him at lrodriguezrosado@ufl.edu or 863-519-1049.