Hydroponic and Soilless Crop Production

This course is offered in the Spring semester of even years and covers the fundamentals of growing crops using hydroponics and soilless culture, particularly in controlled-environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. We will introduce key concepts of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), terminology for hydroponics and soilless culture, and basic aspects for crop growth and development. Students will learn about managing fertilizer nutrients, modifying the production environment to enhance plant growth (light, temperature, humidity, and gases), different hydroponic and soilless culture systems, and best management practices for common edible crop species. Students will learn to apply basic knowledge of plant physiology, soil and water chemistry, entomology, and plant pathology to make decisions and problem-solve issues in simulated crop production scenarios.

Expected Learning Outcomes: 

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand how water, nutrients, and environmental factors (temperature, light, relative humidity, and CO₂) can be managed to influence plant growth and yield
2. Knowledge of different hydroponic and soilless culture systems, and their pros and cons
3. Knowledge of common management practices for leafy greens and fruit crops (i.e. tomato)
4. Experience designing, calculating, and formulating hydroponic nutrient solutions
5. Practice in diagnosing and correcting common crop nutritional, pest and disease, and physiological problems

The campus coordinator for University of Arkansas is Madison Fielding (mf090@uark.edu) and the course management system is Blackboard.