Global hydroponics market to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% during 2015-2020

The global hydroponics market is projected to reach USD 395.2 Million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2015 to 2020,according to a newly published report.

There have been various factors that have played a major role in driving the hydroponics market across the globe. One of the major drivers is that hydroponics provides higher yield compared to traditional agricultural techniques. It also provides farmers the ability to grow crops in areas that cannot support crops in soil. Furthermore, hydroponics eliminates the use of artificial ripening agents and pesticides, which helps in creating nutritionally superior vegetable products.

Hydroponic systems can either be liquid or aggregate. Liquid systems have no supporting medium for the plant roots, whereas aggregate systems have a solid medium for support. Aggregate hydroponic systems are further classified into closed aggregate hydroponic systems and open hydroponic systems; liquid hydroponic systems are classified into three types, namely, nutrient film technique, floating hydroponics, and aeroponics.

In commercial hydroponic production, the primary hydroponic system used is the aggregate hydroponic system as most of the majorly used hydroponic growth techniques are a part of this system.

Hydroponic systems consist of various types of inputs, apart from the equipment used in the same. These inputs are categorized into two types, namely, nutrients and mediums. There are two major types of nutrients used in hydroponics: micronutrients and macronutrients. Macronutrients accounted for the majority of the share of nutrients used in hydroponic systems. Similarly, most hydroponic systems such as the water culture, ebb & flow system, the wick system, and the most popular drip system used various types of growth mediums to support the plant growth in hydroponic systems. These growth mediums include rockwool, growrock, perlite & vermiculite, coco fiber, oasis cubes, and floral foam. Rockwool is the most popularly used growth medium in hydroponics.

Europe has traditionally been at the forefront of implementing advanced techniques in hydroponic smart greenhouse horticulture. Countries such as The Netherlands, Spain, and France have large areas under greenhouse cultivation. However, in The Netherlands, growers mostly cultivate their plants in simple tunnel-like greenhouses without the use of climate control technologies. Hydroponics has flourished in Scandinavian countries where traditional agriculture is nearly impossible during the winter season.

The key players in this market include Argus Control Systems (Canada), Koninklijke Philips NV (The Netherlands), Greentech Agro LLC (U.S.), Logiqs B.V. (The Netherlands), and Lumigrow, Inc. (U.S.).