Hydroponics is the term used to describe a cultivation system in which the development of plants is sought in an aqueous medium without the presence of the soil being an essential need. This technique despite enjoying great popularity today, has its origin in ancient times, since there is evidence that the Aztecs used it successfully in some of their plantations, there is also evidence that the Romans used it with the goal of getting different foods. In this procedure the roots are provided with a balanced nutrient solution which is dissolved in water with all the chemical elements that are essential for the development of the plant.
This kind of crops are of great help especially in cases where there is not an appropriate ground to carry out traditional agriculture, in such places the land is replaced by other means of support for plants such as a series of channels in which there are elements such as stones or clay. Said structures can be built in the open as well as in greenhouses, especially when it is necessary to control the climatic conditions to which these crops are exposed.
Undoubtedly the most important element in hydroponics is water, it must be enriched with minerals and nutrients that the plant necessarily needs for its normal growth and development. On the other hand, the minerals must be provided in the form of ions so that in this way the plant can absorb them through its roots; the minerals most used in hydroponics are sodium, zinc, iron, copper. potassium, nitrogen, calcium, manganese and silicon.
At present, this activity has had a great growth in those countries where the conditions for agriculture are not the most optimal, therefore if hydroponics is combined with good management of greenhouses it is possible to obtain higher yields compared to those that They are obtained in open-air crops.
Hydroponics represents a simple, clean and very economical way to produce fast-growing vegetables that are also rich in nutrients.
