Research analysis

When comparing our 2015 results to 2016, we see that more hydroponic produce growers are planning to expand their hydroponic production in the near future, up from 53 percent to 65 percent in 2016. That’s a good sign that hydroponic growing is going well for those growers.

As we saw last year, growers tend to have either a large percentage of their operation dedicated to hydroponic growing or be trying it for a small portion of crops. This year, 46 percent of hydroponic growers are growing at least 80 percent of their produce in a hydroponic system, while 30 percent are growing less than a tenth of their crops hydroponically.

This year, we had a wider spread of veteran and newer hydroponic growers responding to our research. Many experienced growers (22 percent of respondents have been growing this way for more than 10 years) shared their insights, and we saw an increase in the number of growers that are either just starting out or have been growing hydroponically for fewer than 3 years.

This year, we saw an increase in the number of growers operating during the coldest months — November through February. For example, November growing was up 10 percent and January growing was up 77 percent in comparison to 2015. Perhaps growers are finding more opportunity to sell during the winter months when most traditional field growers are out of season, or the locally grown movement is driving people to seek out indoor-grown produce rather than imported products and increasing demand. In contrast, we saw a decrease in summer growing, with 10, 13, 11 and 11- percent decreases in May, June, July and August, respectively, when it’s more feasible to grow outdoors.

While greenhouses were the most common structure for hydroponic growing, we see that slightly more than a quarter of growers are using hoophouses or high tunnels. As can be expected with the rise of indoor or vertical farms (click here to see coverage of this year’s Indoor Ag-Con), 16 percent of respondents are growing in an indoor setting.

Perhaps due to some of the complexities of becoming organic-certified, we see that most hydroponic growers are not certified organic. Nine percent of non-hydroponic growers said that one of the biggest obstacles to converting to hydroponics is the difficulty of getting organic certified. This year we’ve been following a rising debate about whether or not produce grown in a soilless system should be able to be certified organic in general. Stay tuned to Produce Grower for updates throughout the year.

This year, slightly fewer of the non-hydroponic grower respondents said that they plan to convert part or all of their operation to hydroponic systems in the next 12 months. The reasons why they aren’t planning to do so are varied, and we added several new options this year based on the responses to this question in 2015. The top obstacle continues to be the initial investment/cost for nearly half of the respondents, while a third simply don’t see the need for change and are satisfied with their current growing system. A third of the respondents still don’t feel like they know enough about hydroponic systems. If you’re one of the growers who wants to address this challenge and learn more, don't miss the practical information provided by hydroponics expert Christopher Currey in the Hydroponic Production Primer (click here for the latest installment about water and nutrition) and stay tuned for future research and articles.

Overall, we’re seeing a similar split to the crops being grown in hydroponic systems as last year. However, fewer growers reported growing cucumbers (30 percent in 2016 versus 47 percent in 2015) and beefsteak tomatoes were down 18 percent from last year. Greens, except for microgreens, which saw a 10 percent decrease, and fruits were close to — if not the same — as in 2015.

Using the right combination of substrate and fertilizer mix is crucial in a hydroponic system. “When we combine our water source with fertilizer, we create the nutrient solution – the life blood of hydroponic production systems,” Christopher Currey says this month in the Hydroponic Production Primer (click here). In substrates, this year’s biggest jump was in rockwool, where we saw a 14 percent increase over last year. Peat-based cubes use was up 8 percent, while Horticubes saw an 8 percent decrease. We see that when it comes to fertilizer mixes, fewer growers are buying a custom blend that’s prepared by the seller, down 7 percent this year, while pre-mixed blends are up by 6 percent. Overall, 61 percent of growers are using at least one custom-blend fertilizer mix.

Last year, only 8 percent of growers reported using an aquaponic system. This year, that number has more than doubled, with 20 percent combining a hydroponic system with fish production.

The challenges of growing remained fairly consistent from last year to this year, with pest and disease control being the most difficult tasks. Aphids were listed as a top-three pest for 10 percent more growers this year, and spider mites and fungus gnats each made a 9 percent jump. In the disease realm, fewer growers seem to be having problems with bacterial canker and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) this year, with those diseases’ prevalence falling by 10 and 6 percent, respectively.

Hydroponic produce growing is not without its challenges, whether you're growing in a hoophouse, greenhouse or vertical farm. However, many growers have found it to be an efficient growing system whose benefits justify the investment. As more research is carried out, techniques are refined and the need for sustainable food sources increases, it's an interesting time to be involved in hydroponic growing.