| | Category | BO | L08 | Some Fava Beans and a Nice Summer Savory: Sustainable |
| | Hydroponic Horticulture |
| | Abstract | In the experiment, “Some Fava Beans and a Nice Summer Savory: |
| | Sustainable Hydroponic Horticulture,” summer savory (Satureja hortensis) |
| | and fava beans (Vicia faba) were grown hydroponically. Fava beans |
| | were chosen to be grown in the experiment due to the fact that they are a |
| | healthy food source, and summer savory was chosen because it is a |
| | useful spice. No specific reference was found for growing these |
| | particular plants hydroponically. |
| | Eight PVC pipe tubes were suspended above the ground by a wooden |
| | frame. Fluorescent lights were hung from the ceiling from chains directly |
| | above these tubes, and buckets were placed under each of the tubes’ |
| | drainage holes. Each bucket was filled with a different nutrient solution |
| | mixture, and water pumps were placed in each bucket. Each water pump |
| | was connected to clear tubing which lead its assigned nutrient solution |
| | mixture to the head of its respective PVC testing tube, and the nutrient |
| | solution was allowed to travel through the testing tube and to drain back |
| | into its assigned bucket. Specimens of both species of plants were placed |
| | into holes in each of the tubes. |
| | Commonly, when hydroponics is practiced commercially, the hydroponic |
| | solution is discarded weekly and is replaced by fresh solution in order to |
| | ensure the correct levels of the nutrient salts within the solution, which |
| | are necessary for the development of the plants. This wastes water and |
| | nutrient resources, and the excess nutrients, which can escape into local |
| | waterways, cause pollution and eutrophication. In the project, the water |
| | used for the nutrient solution was not be disposed of weekly, but was |
| | tested for proper pH and nutrient salt concentration, and was adjusted |
| | accordingly. |
| | The hypothesis stated that if an attempt was made to grow fava beans |
| | and summer savory hydroponically, using a tube system and the proper |
| | nutrients and recycling the water used in the nutrient solution, the resulting |
| | plants would be of as good a quality as those grown in soil, or |
| | hydroponically without recycled nutrient solution components. Although |
| | neither the plants grown hydroponically nor the plants grown in soil lived |
| | up to the expectations of the tester, the hypothesis was supported by the |
| | data gathered. |
| | The point of this experiment was to avoid wasting water resources and |
| | causing pollution, while still successfully growing crops hydroponically. |
| | So, in a continuation of this experiment, the water used for each of the |
| | nutrient solution mixtures would continue to be recycled. PVC tubing with a |
| | larger diameter would be used to grow the plants, in order to prevent |
| | clogging via plant roots. Also, more hardy plants would be grown, and the |
| | need for electricity would be eliminated because solar powered water |
| | pumps would be used and the system would be set up outside, in full |
| | sunlight. |
| | Bibliography | Bridgewood, Les. Hydroponics: Soilless Gardening Explained. ©2003 The |
| | Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire. |
| | |
| | Nicholls, Richard E. Beginning Hydroponics: Soilless Gardening: A |
| | Beginner’s Guide to Growing Vegetables, Houseplants, Flowers, and |