nvGaia@worldview360

Raising awareness in the importance of increasing yields

2008-06-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

· Using high tech farming technology-hydroponics

· Introducing an Inter-class competition on growing vegetables using hydroponics

· Competition consists of 3 segments:

(i) Field trip to hydroponics farm

(ii) Cultivating of vegetables using hydroponics

(iii) Fundraising(TBA)

(i) fieldtrip

· Participating groups would be going on a field trip to hydroponics farm arranged by our group members in collaboration with the farm.

· Groups are needed to present their learning journeys via PowerPoint presentation to their class.

(ii) cultivating of vegetables using hydroponics

· Groups are required to cultivate their vegetables using hydroponics over a period of 6 weeks and update the progress chart regularly.(apparatus would be provided)

· Cultivated vegetables would be sending for judging at the end of the six weeks.

(iii) fundraising

· All groups are required to sell their vegetables to students of the school.

· Money raised would be used as fundraising purpose.

Case study 2: Jerusalen community hydroponics project

2008-06-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

· This project is organized by the UN for the Jerusalen community as an effort to provide more supplies for the poor families.

· By recycling used materials, the community had provided their own materials for construction with the subsidies from Volkswagon.

· With subsidies of hydroponics nutrients, the community had sustainably grown various crops of their own.

· Importance of starting hydroponics in Jerusalen community:

(i) There are a large number of poor families in the community which are mainly women that need to take care of their children.

(ii) Disaster that happened recently had destroyed various padi fields which greatly reduced the yields.

(iii) Poor families are unable to get sufficient food supplies and would face food shortages.

· With the introduction of hydroponics, the Jerusalen community had benefited greatly:

(i) Families are able to provide food for their own self with extra surplus.

(ii) Food surplus are sold to supermarkets which earns extra incomes for their families.

2008-06-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Benefits of case study

· Pros and Cons

Advantages
1. No soil required
2. No crop rotation
3. Growing process controlled- higher yield, better quality
4. Water are recycled, thus is conserved
5. Better control of pest and diseases

Disadvantages
1. Installation cost is high
2. Cost of substrate replacing is high
3. Pest and diseases spread fast in the system

(Adapted from http://www.ohfarms.com.sg/)

· Hydroponic culture needs about 1/20th the water, can produce up to six times the yield in less than 1/3 the space, and does not require soil for cultivation.
(Extracted from www.carbon.org/StWerburg.htm)

· the results of hydroponics grown are shown below:

Yields ( g/ m2)

2008-06-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

Case study: hydroponics at North Vista secondary (Continued)

(iii) Maintaining of seedlings growth
•Growth of plants is dependent on the flow of minerals dissolved water around the hydroponics system.
•Minerals dissolved solution are recycled and pumped out of the storage tank for usage again.

The cycle is shown as below:
• The mineralized water would be changed every 2 to 3 weeks with additional nutrients A and B added at an amount of 1g/dm3 per type of nutrient.

Case study: hydroponics at North Vista Secondary

2008-06-09T01:14:00.000-07:00

A way of agricultural by cultivating plants in minerals dissolved solution rather than in soil.

Cultivation of plants using hydroponics consists of 3 parts:

-Germination of seeds

-Transplanting of seeding to culturing panels

-Maintaining of seedlings growth

-Germination of seeds

-Seeds are sown in sponge.

-Specialized formulated nutrients A and B and sunlight are supplied to the seedlings.

-Seedlings are left germinating for about two weeks before transplanting.

-Transplanting of seeding to hydroponics set

-Seedlings of good growing conditions are transplanted to the culturing panels.

-Maintaining of seedlings growth (to be updated again)

2008-05-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

· Updating of current research:

(i) Factors resulting in the need to increase yields within a limited amount of land

(ii) Reasons for case study on Singapore land use for agricultural purpose

· Brainstorming on raising awareness among students in learning the importance of increasing yields:

(i) Using high tech farming technology-hydroponics

(ii) Introducing an Inter-class competition on growing vegetables using hydroponics

· Competition consists of 3 segments:

(i) Field trip to hydroponics farm

(ii) Cultivating of vegetables using hydroponics

(iii) Fundraising(TBA)

(i) Fieldtrip

· Participating groups would be going on a field trip to hydroponics farm arranged by our group members in collaboration with the farm.

· Groups are needed to present their learning journeys via PowerPoint presentation to their class.

(ii) cultivating of vegetables using hydroponics

· Groups are required to cultivate their vegetables using hydroponics over a period of 6 weeks and update the progress chart regularly.(apparatus would be provided)
· Cultivated vegetables would be sending for judging at the end of the six weeks.

(iii) Fundraising

· All groups are required to sell their vegetables to students of the school.
· Money raised would be used as fundraising purpose.

Case study of Singapore’s land use for agricultural purpose

2008-05-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

· Only 37% of Singapore’s lands are used as agricultural and state land.
· Shows that there is a scarcity of land due to dense amount of high rise buildings.
· Most agricultural methods rely on soil and biomass to grow crops.
· Insufficient supplies of agricultural products for the people.

Despite these problems, some agriculture methods used in Singapore are implemented to increase yields.

Factors resulting the importance of increasing yields within limited lands

2008-05-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

Large percentages of agricultural products in Singapore are imported from other countries.
Extensive lands are cleared (e.g. deforestation, soil erosion, forest fires) for agricultural use.
importing of agricultural products :

(i) causes insufficient supply of agricultural products around the world

(ii) Increased price of agricultural products due to the increase of oil prices.