Grow Lettuce Using Hydroponics. Learn More at Farm Science Review

Jul 29, 2010

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LONDON, Ohio – Ohio lettuce growers looking for new, innovative ways of growing produce year-round have hydroponics as a viable alternative. The technology will be demonstrated during Farm Science Review, Sept. 21-23 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

Hydroponics 1Robert Hansen, an Ohio State University agricultural engineer with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will share research results from OARDC’s Hydroponics Lettuce Research Laboratory. Hansen is collaborating with CropKing, Inc. on maintaining a hydroponic lettuce research laboratory, and with Beth Fausey, OSU Extension floriculture and hydroponic vegetable specialist, on outreach education and marketing.

“Hydroponics, like greenhouse production, is an alternative crop production system to field crop production,” said Hansen. “Hydroponics provides the potential to grow produce year-round, giving consumers access to locally grown vegetables.”

Hydroponics 2 Hydroponics is a method of growing crops without soil, with nutrients delivered to the plant via water. Hansen said that initial input costs of hydroponic systems are high, but the control of system inputs – everything from lighting to nutrient levels to controlling insects and diseases - affords the greatest opportunities for a successful, high quality, high-value crop.

The Extension/research project, which evaluates the viability of using a hydroponics system in Ohio, is funded by a three-year U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. Look for the hydroponics demonstration unit at Farm Science Review inside the Extension, Education and Research Tent along Friday Avenue of the exhibitor grounds.

Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.

Farm Science Review pre-show tickets are now on sale for $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets will also be available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21-22 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23.

For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu. For the latest news and updates, follow Farm Science Review on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/OhioStateFSR), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FarmScienceReview), and Ning (http://fsrosu.ning.com).

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Writers

Candace Pollock
pollock.58@cfaes.osu.edu
(614) 292-3799, @CommTechMedia on Twitter

Sources

Robert Hansen, OARDC
hansen.2@osu.edu
(330) 263-3860

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