HRT 351: Hydroponic Food Production
Course Code: HRT 351
Credits and Offerings
- 2 credits (two 50 minute every week)
- Fall of odd years
Course Objectives
- Describe essential components of a hydroponic system.
- Understand the importance of water quality, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH management for hydroponic production.
- Critically evaluate and compare various hydroponic systems and crops.
- Develop an understanding of controlled environment hydroponic food crop production and the science behind the technologies utilized.
- Describe the role of hydroponic food production in food security and climate change.
- Understand principles of water chemistry and plant nutrition, do nutrient solution calculations, and diagnose common nutrient disorders.
Course Learning Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- explain how hydroponic systems are designed to meet the physical, chemical, and biological needs of plant roots.
- discuss the benefits and constraints of several different hydroponic systems and hydroponically grown food crops.
- articulate the ideal growing environment and plant response to temperature, light, and carbon dioxide for several of the most common hydroponically grown crops.
- describe the most common plant biotic and abiotic disorders.
- articulate how hydroponics relates to sustainable, organic, and local food production.
Topics
- Controlled environment agriculture and hydroponics: Past, present, and future
- Hydroponic systems
- Temperature management
- Light management
- Gases
- Water and nutrients
- Strawberries
- Leafy greens: Lettuce, Kale, Arugula, etc.
- High wire crops: Cucumbers
- High wire crops: Tomatoes
- Culinary herbs
- Microgreens
- Grafting
- Aquaponics
- Food safety
- Emerging CEA: Indoor Farming
Activities
- Lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities on the topics above.
- One-day field trip to commercial hydroponic food production greenhouses to observe commercial practices and learn from growers.
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