Prerequisite: Hydroponics I or significant experience.
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are eleven lessons in this module as follows:
- How the Crop Plant Grows: Understanding how a plant grows in hydroponics, plant growth factors, manipulating and controlling growth, plant troubleshooting, resources, fruit set management, pollination issues, flower initiation, flower and fruit development etc.
- How to Run a Small Evaluation Trial
- Harvest and Post Harvest
- Tomatoes
- Capsicum
- Lettuce, Salad Greens and Foliage Herb Crops
- Cucurbits (Cucumber and Melons)
- Strawberries
- Roses
- Carnations
- Orchids
AIMS
- Determine and explain factors that influence the growth of a crop.
- Design and conduct a trial to evaluate the commercial prospect of growing a chosen hydroponic crop
- Determine appropriate harvest and post harvest treatments for different types of hydroponic crops.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial tomato crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial capsicum crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial Lettuce, Salad Greens and Foliage Herb Crops in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cucurbit crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial strawberry crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cut flower rose crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cut flower carnation crop in any given location.
- Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cut flower Orchid crop in any given location.
WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE
Interview two different people who have experience seriously growing plants in hydroponics. These might be hydroponic shop owners, commercial growers, or even just keen amateurs. They should be people who can answer the questions below from experience. Ask each of these people the following questions and make notes of their answers:
- What has been the most difficult plant variety you have grown in hydroponics? This should be something you have succeeded with, but have had to put extra effort into succeeding with; and perhaps success has only come after a second or third attempt.
- What type of system did you use to grow this in?
- What do you think was the most critical factor in manipulating the growth of this plant; how did you control that factor, and how did your action affect the plant’s growth?
- What type of commercial crops are most suited to commercial hydroponic farming in your locality, and why? Locate information on hydroponic trials that have been conducted by others.
Information you find might include evaluations of particular crops or varieties, evaluations of particular technology for hydroponics, or evaluation of various systems or methods for particular crops. You should try to find information from sources such as hydroponics magazines and journals, hydroponics books, the Internet, hydroponics experts, and any other sources you can think of.
