MAX
facts
hydroponic news, tips and trivia
Mushrooms Could Drastically Cut Fertilizer
Use in Agriculture
New research suggests seeding agricultural soils with
special mushrooms could drastically reduce fertilizer
use. Plants form symbiotic relationships with
mycorrhizal fungi; the mushrooms acquire
nutrients and make them available to plants. The
fungi act as extensions of plants’ root systems,
drastically reducing the need for
phosphate fertilizers.
(Source: www.treehugger.com)
Santa Maria Embraces High-Tech Agriculture
Just outside Camarillo, California, hydroponic agriculture business Windset Farms has constructed
two massive state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouses where a variety of tomatoes, peppers and
cucumber will grow. When the project is finished there will be the equivalent of 5.7 million
square feet of hydroponic heaven. The result of the technology used, mixed with the
beneficial climate is estimated yields 10 to 20 times more than those offered with
traditional farming methods.
Greenhouse features:
• 28 feet tall
• Span 32 acres
• Recycled and harvested water and condensation collection
• Intricate, elaborate and mostly computerized growing system
Windset Farms is a Canadian outfit from British Columbia that has built
numerous greenhouses across the United States; currently they have three
such facilities across the country including one in Las Vegas, dubbed as “the
most sustainable greenhouses in the world”
.
(Source: http://hydroponicsguide.co.uk)
High-Tech Approach Uses Lights, Action
and Camera to Scrutinize Fresh Produce
Scientists have developed and patented an experimental, cutting-edge optical
scanning system that would use two different kinds of lighting, a sophisticated camera
and other pieces of equipment to scrutinize fresh produce as they travel along
packinghouse conveyor belts. These high-tech tactics will help ensure the quality and
safety of these good-for-you foods.
The system would provide evidence of certain kinds of defects—like cuts and bruises—
or contaminants—like specks of fertilizer from orchard or field soil.
(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)
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Maximum Yield USA | July 2011