CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

TECHNOLOGIES USED IN AGRICULTURE

DONE BY:TAVIA THOMPSON

SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE
 TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

Hydroponics: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Aeroponics: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Aquaculture: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6-7

Aquaponics: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8-9

Greenhouses: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9-11

REFRENCES: PAGE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………12

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 INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT FARMING?

Controlled Environment Agriculture is the production of plants and their products and animals,

such as vegetables and flowers and oysters, inside controlled environment structures such as

greenhouses, vertical farms and growth chambers and ponds. By using Controlled Environment

Agriculture methods, we can produce high-value crops at maximum productivity in an efficient

and environmentally friendly way.

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 Hydroponics

Hydroponic is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture, which involves

growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water

based mineral nutrient solutions. Terrestrial or aquatic plants may grow with

their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid or the roots may be mechanically supported

by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates and media.

Picture illustrating vegetables growing using the method of hydroponics

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 Aeroponics
Aeroponics is the process of cultivating plants in an air or mist environment, eliminating the

need for soil or an aggregate medium. This method grows plants without soil. Instead, roots are

suspended in the air and irrigated with a nutrient-dense mist. This differs from hydroponics,

where plant roots are submerged in a solution of water and nutrients.

The term "aeroponic" originates from the Greek words aer ("air") and ponos ("work"). Though it

differs from hydroponics, it still falls under the category of hydroponics, as water is employed in

aeroponics to deliver nutrients to the plants. The fundamental principle of aeroponic growing

entails suspending plants in a closed or semi-closed environment while spraying their dangling

roots and lower stems with a nutrient-rich water solution in an atomized or sprayed form.

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Picture above illustrating aeroponics taking place using aeroponics infrastructure system in and
indoor farm.

Aquaculture

The term aquaculture broadly refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled

aquatic environments for any commercial, recreational or public purpose. The breeding, rearing

and harvesting of plants and animals takes place in all types of water environments including

ponds, rivers, lakes, the ocean and man-made “closed” systems on land. Aquaculture which is

also known as aquafarming, utilizes the controlled cultivation of aquatic organisms such

as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic

plants (e.g. lotus). Aquaculture involves cultivating these aquatic organisms in

freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural

conditions. Mariculture, which is commonly known as marine farming, refers specifically to

aquaculture practiced in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater

aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish

products as food.

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Picture above showing the commercial farming of Irish Moss for human consumption in a
control aquatic environment.

Picture above showing an aquatice Oyster Farm in North Carolina, America

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 Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a food production system that couples aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such

as fish, crayfish, snails or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water)

whereby the nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponically grown plants.

It utilizes a combination of aquaculture, which is growing fish and other aquatic animals, and

hydroponics which is growing plants without soil. Aquaponics uses these two in a symbiotic

combination in which plants are fed the aquatic animals’ discharge or waste. In return, the

vegetables clean the water that goes back to the fish. Along with the fish and their waste,

microbes play an important role to the nutrition of the plants. These beneficial bacteria gather

in the spaces between the roots of the plant and converts the fish waste and the solids into

substances the plants can use to grow. The result is a perfect collaboration between

aquaculture and gardening.

The College of Agriculture, Science and Education in Portland Jamaica has an aquaponic system

in place.

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 College of Agriculture Science and Education in Portland Jamaica aquaponics system, which
combines vegetable growing and fish raring.

Greenhouse Farming

Greenhouse farming is primarily growing plants or crops in a structure with walls and a roof

made principally of transparent material. The interior of a greenhouse exposed to sunlight is

significantly warmer than the external temperature, protecting its plants from extreme

conditions. And providing an opportunity to grow year-round in harsh conditions. The

greenhouse itself is a structure or building that usually has walls and a roof composed of a

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predominantly transparent material such as plastic or glass, which allow light in and help to

facilitate the creation of a regulated climate that is ideal for cultivating a variety of plants.

Historically, greenhouses date all the way back to Roman times, where an emperor with an

affinity for Armenian cucumbers forced his gardeners to create the growing system and structure

that modern greenhouses are based on. Today, there are several different types of greenhouses

that can be found in an assortment of sizes ranging from small home greenhouses to the large

industrial structures used to grow crops.

Greenhouses farming offer several benefits to farmers who use this method of farming. The

greenhouse offers control of the vegetative growth, blossoming, fruit size and quality. It also

extending the production period of plants for continuous harvesting. Another advantage of

greenhouse farming is that it minimizes the use of pesticides and insecticides; therefore,

exposure to chemical toxins is reduced. It also creates the ideal growing conditions for plants,

making it possible to continuously grow the plant, irrespective of the normal outdoor weather

and climatic conditions.

Greenhouses work exceptionally well especially with the implementation of the right irrigation

system and equipment.

ISRAETECH Jamaica Limited is a company in Jamaica that supplies greenhouse structures and all

the assorted material, systems and equipment and tools that would be needed to construct and

operate a greenhouse.

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Picture above showing Tomatoes growing in a greenhouse in Jamaica by Mr. Hopeton Singh

Picture showing greenhouse with tomato crop

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 References:

Wikipedia; retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-environment_agriculture

ISRAETECH Jamaica; retrieved from https://www.isratech.com/greenhouse
What is aquaculture; retrieved from https://www.noaa.gov/stories/what-is-aquaculture

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