Precision Growing with Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis
Precision growing is defined as ‘delivering the exact nutrients and other requirements necessary for growing healthy plants with the required amounts of food, nutrients and light.’
Aquaponics uses grow tables in a much more efficient and effective manner. The water’s pH and carefully timed delivery system as well as the addition of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients are all very important to successful growing results. So are the available light level and intensity and the temperature and the air flow in the building. Delivering each requirement at all times results in maximum yields in record growing times. The added expenses of these high tech growing systems are very quickly offset by the dramatic increases in yields.
- Controlled environment agricultural growing is very quickly becoming the state-of-the-art production because of the multitude of advantages. These include:
- Extended growing season – often year round
- Greatly reduced consumption of water even with in-ground growing methods
- Less expensive and more accurate pest control – often pests are eliminated as a problem
- Growing is placed much nearer to markets in many cases
- Less chance for crop losses due to weather, pests, water loss and theft
- More efficient use of fertilizers and nutrients used for maximum production
- Custom and high-value crops easier to grow for local markets.
Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems actually deliver a slight excess of everything the plants need, even the light, so every plant always have the perfect conditions for maximum growth. PFAS also has other advantages:
- Less water use than any other type of commercial growing system available today
- No pesticides are ever used
- The waste water is a valuable fertilizer that can be used on other crops or sold at a profit
- Waist high work area
- No single point of failure
- No weeding – ever
- Watering is automatic
- No soil or dirt inside the building.
For maximum production/yield, PFAS LLC recommends the following ENHANCEMENTS to a regular PFAS installation:
- The addition of micro-nutrients that include iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium and 53 other vital minerals are supplied with organic FF-Mineral Rock Dust
- High performance greenhouse coverings that protect from weather extremes.
- Insulation of all walls and roof that do not contribute direct sunlight to the grow trays
- Grow lights capable of providing maximum full spectrum lighting for both greens and blooming plants.
- Inert growing medium for planting seeds
- Trellis installation for maximum vertical growing for blooming plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, etc.)
- Full monitoring system of all functions within the building that notify operator of any necessary adjustments required
- Low cost fish tank heaters
- Automatic water leveling system for fish tanks.
These controlled-environments-precision-growing-systems are capital intensive on the front end, but they produce income very quickly and continue to produce income over long periods of time with only operational expenses needing to be covered. The ROI on the Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems is only three to five years. Investors really appreciate these advantages and the new ‘farmers’ appreciate the opportunity to reap huge rewards for their efforts.
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