Hydroponic Water Chestnuts and Other Aquatic Crops
Although most of the crops we grow in hydroponics prefer a shallow film of nutrient around their roots, some plant species have adapted to living in flooded conditions. A good example is rice, which provides a large proportion of the world’s staple food while growing in conditions that would quickly kill most other crops. Other aquatic or “semi-aquatic” food plants also prefer to grow in a shallow depth of water, such as Water chestnuts (Matai), Water spinach, and Watercress. These specialty crops are ideal candidates for hydroponic production because the flooded environment and the nutrients can be supplied at the same time. Small quantities of these plants produce well in greenhouses where outside conditions would otherwise limit growth.
