Due to a lapse in federal funding, this USDA website will not be actively updated.
Once funding has been reestablished, online operations will continue.
Hydroponics, or growing plants in a nutrient solution root medium, is a growing area of commercial food production and also is used for home food production by hobbyists. Learn about the state-of-the-art techniques for producing food in a controlled, soilless setting.USDA. AMS. NOP. Hydroponic and Aquaponic Task Force.
This 2016 report, submitted to National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), "1) describes the current state of technologies and practices used in hydroponics and aquaponics; and 2) ... examines how those practices align or do not align with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and the USDA organic regulations."
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The IFAS Virtual Workshop is comprised of twenty-two narrated videos produced in the Hydroponic Greenhouse on topics related to Greenhouse Setup, Hydroponic Production Systems and Specialty Crops, Soilless Media Choices, Starting the Crop, Nutrient Solution Delivery, Pest Management, and Harvest and Marketing.
Purdue University.
This presentation and overview of hydroponics includes a history of the growing method, advantages and disadvantages of various systems, images, and startup costs.
J.W. Bartok, Jr. University of Connecticut. Extension.
Provides a general overview of hydroponic systems and components, describes advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic production, and identifies "Hydroponic Greenhouse Production Resources."
Brian Waters. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Introduces hydroponic systems for experiments, research or teaching purposes. Provides step-by-step, detailed instructions and components required to build different hydroponic systems. (20 mins.)
The Ohio State University. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
Information about hydroponics systems with a decision support system for growing parameters, economics including crop budgets, and plant nutrient information, and an image gallery.
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Compiles University of Florida research and publications featuring the Protect Agriculture project, and other information resources.
The University of Arizona. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The CEAC supports research, education and Extension at the University. Focused on "the production of plants and their products, such as vegetables and flowers, inside structures such as greenhouses...[to] produce high value crops at maximum productivity in an efficient and environmentally friendly way." Includes hands-on course manual: Introduction to Hydroponics and Controlled Environment Agriculture
Cornell University. Biological and Environmental Engineering.
Research and information on production and horticultural requirements, system design especially light and energy requirements, and business and marketing techniques. Available resources include research reports, growers' handbooks, and FAQ's.
From Dr. Dickson Despommier, of the Environmental Health Science of Columbia University and the originator of the modern concept of vertical farming, this site has information about the basic ideas, designs, media coverage and the latest news on this project.