Agriculture today is one of the most inefficient sources of resource use and largest causes of pollution in the world. The very inefficient water requirement of traditional agricultural methods results in several consequences, including destruction of habitat, shortage of food and other resources, and high costs to consumers. Most crops are grown using ‘traditional’ agricultural methods, even though there are sustainable, resource-efficient agricultural methods available. Hydroponics is a form of sustainable agriculture, which uses nutrient solutions instead of soil to grow plants, employing only 10% of the water and 10% of the land in comparison to traditional agriculture. There are also numerous benefits to hydroponic farming, such as bigger, healthier plants grown in quicker crop cycles.
Team Hydro’s mission is to improve the financial and operational efficiency of large industrial hydroponic systems through automation of labor-intensive tasks. The cost of labor of large hydroponic systems accounts for 60 to 70% of overall operational costs and their team is confident that by tackling the operational and cost efficiency of hydroponic systems, they can facilitate widespread implementation of sustainable farming practices. They aim to begin the overhaul of labor in hydroponics through automation, starting with one of the most basic tasks in the hydroponic industry: seed planting.
