Hydroponics (From the Greek words hydro, water

and ponos, labor) is a method of growing plants

using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without
soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their
roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an
inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool,
.or coconut husk
Researchers discovered in the 19th century that
plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as
inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil
acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself
is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral
nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots
are able to absorb them. When the required mineral
nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply
artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to
thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with
hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a standard
.technique in biology research and teaching
Soilless culture
Gericke originally defined hydroponics as crop
growth in mineral nutrient solutions, with no solid
medium for the roots. He objected in print to

people who applied the term hydroponics to other

types of soilless culture such as sand culture and
gravel
culture.
The
distinction
between
hydroponics and soilless culture of plants has often
been blurred. Soilless culture is a broader term than
hydroponics; it only requires that no soils with clay
or silt are used. Note that sand is a type of soil yet
sand culture is considered a type of soilless culture.
Hydroponics is a subset of soilless culture. Many
types of soilless culture do not use the mineral
nutrient solutions required for hydroponics.
Billions of container plants are produced annually,
including fruit, shade and ornamental trees, shrubs,
forest seedlings, vegetable seedlings, bedding
plants, herbaceous perennials and vines. Most
container plants are produced in soilless media,
representing soilless culture. However, most are not
hydroponics because the soilless medium often
provides some of the mineral nutrients via slow
release
fertilizers,
cation
exchange
and
decomposition of the organic medium itself. Most
soilless media for container plants also contain
organic materials such as peat or composted bark,
which provide some nitrogen to the plant.
Greenhouse growth of plants in peat bags is often
termed hydroponics, but technically it is not
because the medium provides some of the mineral
nutrients.

Plants that are not traditionally grown in a climate

would be possible to grow using a controlled
environment system like hydroponics. During
World War II produce was grown with hydroponics
on the barren Pacific Islands. According to a 1938
Times magazine article, this was one of the first
times that commercial use of hydroponics was used
on such a large scale to feed people. This group of
islands was used as a refueling stop for Pan-Am
Airways and the food was used to feed the staff and
crew. This means that salad greens could possibly
be grown in Antarctica or even the Mojave Desert.
NASA has also looked to utilize hydroponics in the
space program. Ray Wheeler, plant physiologist at
Kennedy Space Centers Space Life Science Lab,
believes that hydroponics will create advances
within space travel. He terms this as a life support
system with the biological component of growing
plantscalled a bioregenerative life support
system. It has several benefits for NASA. These
Scientists are researching how different amounts of
light, temperature and carbon dioxide, along with
plant species can be grown and cultivated on
planets like Mars.
Advantages
Some of the reasons why hydroponics is being
adapted around the world for food production are
:the following

 No soil is needed
The water stays in the system and
can be reused- thus, lower water
costs
It is possible to control the nutrition
levels in their entirety- thus, lower
nutrition costs
No nutrition pollution is released into
the environment because of the
controlled system
Stable and high yields
Pests and diseases are easier to get
rid of than in soil because of the
container's mobility
Today, hydroponics is an established branch of
agronomy. Progress has been rapid, and results
obtained in various countries have proved it to be
thoroughly practical and to have very definite
advantages over conventional methods of
horticulture. The two chief merits of the soil-less
cultivation of plants are, first, much higher crop
yields, and second, hydroponics can be used in
places where in-ground agriculture or gardening is
.not possible

Disadvantages
The hydroponic conditions (presence of fertilizer
and high humidity) create an environment that
stimulates salmonella growth. Other disadvantages
include pathogen attacks such as damp-off due to
Verticillium wilt caused by the high moisture levels
associated with hydroponics and overwatering of soil
based plants. Also, many hydroponic plants require
different fertilizers and containment systems

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics