One nutrient film hydroponic system that gives plants nutrition is the nutrient film system, which applies a thin layer of nutrient solution. This technique is simple to set up and incredibly effective. A form of soilless culture known as the “nutrient film technique” entails growing plants suspended above a stream of continually flowing nutrient solution, which supplies the plant with oxygen, nutrients, and water for rapid, healthy growth and sustainable cultivation.
Under this arrangement, the plants’ roots dangle downward and soak up nutrient-rich water. Smaller, faster-growing plants like lettuce, microgreens, and herbs are frequently grown with it. Despite their diverse forms and designs, NFT hydroponics systems all share a common trait.
The nutrition solution is kept in a reservoir inside this apparatus. Water is moved from the reservoir through the growth tanks using a pump. The plants are housed in grow trays that have slots in them for the growth medium. To receive the nutrients, the plant’s roots dangle in the water flow. A hose is used to return the fertiliser solution to the reservoir after the plant has absorbed it.
What Kinds of Plants Are Suitable for The NFT Hydroponics System?
Select lightweight, grow quickly, and can be harvested quickly plants, such as several lettuce varieties, while using the Nutrient Film Hydroponics System. If you decide to grow larger plants, you will need to take some stabilising measures to ensure that they have enough hold.
Plants with taproots, such as turnips or carrots, should not be planted because the growing container typically cannot accommodate them. An NFT system is likewise not appropriate for heavier, slower-growing plants like cabbage. Additionally, you should pick plants that thrive in the same pH range and that have the right nutrients.
The Reservoir and The Growth Tray
Instead of using flat trays, the Nutrient Film Technique makes use of tubes or channels. Setting it at an angle and ensuring that the fertiliser solution reaches the roots without wasting it are made simpler with these tubes. A pump on the high end and a drain tube on the low-end link the reservoir, which is set inside the grow tray, to the channel.
Benefits of The Nutrient Film Method
- Through consistent feeding, the nutrition film approach avoids localised salt accumulation.
- The amount of growing medium needed for this hydroponics system is minimal.
- The plants cultivated in the NFT system can sustain consistent conductivity and pH levels.
- A nutrition film technology system is quite simple to put together.
Because it reduces the possibility of chemical fertilisers and pesticides contaminating nearby groundwater, the Nutrient film hydroponic system is a sustainable and eco-friendly substitute for conventional agriculture. Because the roots are freely accessible, it is also very simple to assess the health of the plants. Compared to other system kinds, the nutrient film technique hydroponics system’s tools and equipment are comparatively simpler to sterilise.