5 ms·

Outdoor farming is still incredibly resource intensive. As we move into an age where unsalted water becomes more precious and rare we should focus on hydroponic

Outdoor farming is still incredibly resource intensive. As we move into an age where unsalted water becomes more precious and rare we should focus on hydroponic growing tech to preserve water. It is indoors so it wouldn’t require pesticides.

nradov 5y ago
Israeli farmers have shown that crops can be grown outdoors in a water efficient manner.
- BostonEnginerd 5y ago
  How have they done that? Encapsulating the soil with a barrier layer?
  - lathyrus_long 5y ago
    The Israelis invented modern drip irrigation and use it extensively. They also make good use of low-quality water, like treated wastewater and not-totally-desalinated seawater, by developing salt-tolerant varieties and carefully optimizing plant nutrition under their constraints. Of course they do lots of hydroponics too, for the usual hydroponic crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). The science in hydroponics and science in sophisticated soil culture aren't really that different--you'll see mostly the same chemical fertilizers, the same EC and pH measurements in the field, the same lab analyses by ICP, etc. Some water still drains to the aquifer and is "wasted". It needs to be though, or else unwanted ions (from impure source water or fertilizer, including but not limited to Na+ and Cl-) would accumulate and kill the plant. Israel has a significant problem with salinization of their soils and groundwater, and lots of interesting work modeling that.
lathyrus_long 5y ago
Pesticides are still widely used indoors. Pests will get introduced even with strong precautions (air showers at the entrances, etc.). At that point, if they're able to multiply then they will, potentially even faster than outdoors since there are no natural predators. There also tends to be less airflow, which encourages pests like spider mites. Of course the greenhouse has advantages too--you can deliberately introduce beneficial (predatory) insects and they can't fly away, and if you do end up using pesticides then there's no risk to wild pollinators. For example, the EU banned certain neonics outdoors but still permits indoor use. It's more just different than strictly easier or harder.

nradov 5y ago

Israeli farmers have shown that crops can be grown outdoors in a water efficient manner.

BostonEnginerd 5y ago
How have they done that? Encapsulating the soil with a barrier layer?
- lathyrus_long 5y ago
  The Israelis invented modern drip irrigation and use it extensively. They also make good use of low-quality water, like treated wastewater and not-totally-desalinated seawater, by developing salt-tolerant varieties and carefully optimizing plant nutrition under their constraints. Of course they do lots of hydroponics too, for the usual hydroponic crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). The science in hydroponics and science in sophisticated soil culture aren't really that different--you'll see mostly the same chemical fertilizers, the same EC and pH measurements in the field, the same lab analyses by ICP, etc. Some water still drains to the aquifer and is "wasted". It needs to be though, or else unwanted ions (from impure source water or fertilizer, including but not limited to Na+ and Cl-) would accumulate and kill the plant. Israel has a significant problem with salinization of their soils and groundwater, and lots of interesting work modeling that.

lathyrus_long 5y ago

Pesticides are still widely used indoors. Pests will get introduced even with strong precautions (air showers at the entrances, etc.). At that point, if they're able to multiply then they will, potentially even faster than outdoors since there are no natural predators. There also tends to be less airflow, which encourages pests like spider mites. Of course the greenhouse has advantages too--you can deliberately introduce beneficial (predatory) insects and they can't fly away, and if you do end up using pesticides then there's no risk to wild pollinators. For example, the EU banned certain neonics outdoors but still permits indoor use. It's more just different than strictly easier or harder.