Using Hydroponics to Meet Grass-fed Demands

Many farmers today depend on grass to feed their livestock. And they don't always have an easy time in trying to meet their needs. A variety of issues might come up and contribute to difficulty when it comes to trying to acquire the grass that's needed. Common issues are things like a lack of space, cost, and weather problems.

However, these sorts of issues might soon become a thing of the past for many, thanks to a new initiatives that are using hydroponic growing methods and greenhouse technology for grass production.

Now, researchers in Asia and elsewhere are experimenting with and promoting the use of hydroponically-grown grass to try and meet the nutrition needs of livestock. The grass that they are experimenting with is grown from wheat or barley seeds and they are growing the grass in a greenhouse by way of hydroponic growing methods.

These sorts of hydroponic systems have been used for some time in various countries to grow grass for cattle, though now researchers are using them and promoting their use for the production of large commercial scale amounts of grass that can be grown in a controlled greenhouse environment.

With their growing method, they are able to harvest grass all throughout the year, which helps farmers to combat weather issues that would prevent easy access. It also helps to cut down on cost by enabling farmers to produce their own rather than seek out feed from someone else. And they say that cows consuming the grass are able to produce roughly 10-15 percent more milk as a result.

The researchers involved with the experiment say that they don't see an alternative for the future when it comes to tackling such a project in trying to meet the nutritional needs of livestock.

Eventually, more commercial farmers will turn to this growing method to meet the grass-fed needs of their livestock.

The technology that researchers in Asia are using currently to produce the grass, the infrastructure for the project and the greenhouse technology, comes from Foddertech; an American company that specializes in developing, marketing, and manufacturing, these seed/grass sprouting systems.

Their technology is said to be the only one currently available on the market which provides for commercial scale growing of sprouts; a system that's also alleged to be immune to mold and mildew.

You can find farmers growing via hydroponic growing methods in a variety of countries around the world today: the US, UK, Canada, Nigeria, India, and elsewhere. And though it isn't a new growing method, having been known and used in some variety for a very long time, it's recently seen a surge in popularity in the past few years. And a variety of companies have now tried to make it easier for even consumers to start their own hydroponic systems right in the comfort of their own homes.

Aside from hydroponic products being marketed toward average consumers, we've also seen corporations like Target and Ikea take notice and experiment with their own hydroponic growing initiatives.

Right now the hydroponic space is estimated to be an industry worth hundreds of millions. It was estimated that it would reach around $400 million by 2020, but it's already seemed to have surpassed that. For 2017, it's estimated that the global hydroponics market was around $400 million and they expect that it will grow to something around $750+ million by 2022.

Many farmers are seeing this growing method as a much more convenient way to grow, a more cost-effective way to grow, and it's also shown to produce higher yields. If it continues to perform in showing better results to growers around the world, we can only expect this industry to continue to see healthy growth with more farmers turning to use hydroponics to possibly meet their needs.

Some of the more popular items that are being grown via hydroponic growing methods at the moment are things like cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and peppers. As well as being used to produce grass for livestock.

Pics:
Pixabay
Giphy

Sources:
http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/new-england-is-cracking-the-code-to-farming-all-year-long/81249
https://news.virginia.edu/content/student-startup-turns-hydroponics-incite-food-revolution
https://bdnews24.com/business/2017/03/30/bangladesh-research-council-equipping-farmers-with-hydroponic-fodder-system
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/hydroponic-grass-meet-nutrition-needs-livestock-1475023
http://foddertech.com/about-us/
http://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-goes-hydroponic/av-40826232
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/295531
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/is-hydroponically-sprouted-fodder-the-new-grassfed/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170927005560/en/Global-Hydroponics-Market-Research-Report-2017-2022--
https://steemit.com/food/@doitvoluntarily/hydroponics-market-expected-to-show-tremendous-growth-in-years-to-come
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/04/lokal-space-10-miniature-hydroponic-vertical-farm-london-design-festival/

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