What exactly is hydroponics?

In the 1930's the term was coined by a researcher to refer to a method of growing plants without soil. Soilless culture, bag culture, water culture, nutrient film technique, nutriculture, gravel culture, sand culture, aggregate culture, and aeroponics are additional terms used for various methods of growing plants without soil. All of these methods provide the roots of the plant with water, oxygen and nutrients.

UMES Hydroponics Facility

This turn-key facility has a headhouse, greenhouse, parking area, with access for car and truck traffic, and separate utility and telecommunication hookups. A 6,000 sq. ft. pre-engineered steel headhouse is divided into: 1,800 sq. ft. grading and storage area, 3,000 sq. ft. office area, 700 sq. ft. mechanical room, and a 500 sq. ft. cooler. The headhouse connects to the greenhouse by a glass breezeway that includes the injection systems, heating manifolds, and loading area. The greenhouse facility was designed by Rough Brothers, Inc., in the International Dutch Greenhouse style. It has a total of over 120,000 sq. ft. with 20 double-peaked, 20-foot wide gutter-connected houses zoned as two production areas. The roof is glazed with 5.32 in. clear tempered glass with 12 ft. sidewalls constructed of 8-mm polycarbonate structured sheets. The support structure is galvanized steel post and bar joist construction, designed to State standards to withstand local wind and snow loads. There are a series of 535 east and west directional roof vents for interior air circulation. A 65% sun and heat retention system has roof design aids in the environmental greenhouse control. A 2,000 sq. Ft. attached greenhouse is the third environmental zone to support University research.

The growing area is covered with white ground geo-fabric, utilizes and elevated irrigation gutter sysem designed by Peter van Luijk, a drip tube nutrient system by Van Vliet Auto, and coconut slab matrix. The irrigation nutrients are injected by a two-zone single mix Zwart injection system. CO2 generators are installed for environmental enrichment with horizontal circulation fans. Irrigation and environmental conditions are controlled by an Argus 100 integrated computer control system. The system monitors outside wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, CO2, solar radiation, precipitation as well as interior temperature, humidity, CO2, nutrient pH and nutrient mix. The Argus computer software has flexibility to control and maintain the greenhouse environment and crop.

The heating plant is two oil-fired Burnham 200 HP three-pass hot water boilers. The heating system is zoned with motorized pumps and bend valves, controlled by the master Argus computer system. There is a 60 KW Standby Emergency Power Genreator sequencec by the Argus system.