This week in our Sustainable Agriculture class we had a guest speaker named Stan who came in to talk to us about hydroponics. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in an "aerated" nutrient solution composed of water and fertilizer. We learned that using hydroponics, you can save at least 90% of water compared to a soil culture, there is no fertilizer runoff, it provides for direct and immediate control of the plant, and prevents transplant shock. It also isolates the plants from diseases or pests found in soil. By using hydroponics, you can increase the levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, and many other nutrients in your food harvest. We learned that NASA also conducted its own test with hydroponics, and found that it reduced the amount of water they used by 98%, fertilizer by 60%, and pesticides by 100%.
On another note, my group member Carly found a companion in the rye of our bed. This companion is technically a pest, but many people appreciate the colors that this pest has on its body. This pest name is a Dogbane Beetle. Its scientific name is Chrysochus auratus. The dogbane leaf beetle has a special type of color that shines and changes as the insect changes position or we change position looking at it. This changing color is called iridescence. The beetles' iridescence is produced by special body structures and light. Dogbane leaf beetles feed on prairie plants such as milkweeds, Indian hemp, and dogbane. I wasn't able to get a clear picture of the dogbane beetle, so this is a picture I found online that best resembles the one we saw in the farm.
-Jean-Marc Beddow
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