Hydroponics offers many advantages, notably a decrease in water usage in agriculture. To grow 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of tomatoes using intensive farming methods requires 214 liters (47 imp gal; 57 U.S. gal) of water;[10] using hydroponics, 70 liters (15 imp gal; 18 U.S. gal); and only 20 liters (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 U.S. gal) using aeroponics.[11]
Since hydroponic growing takes much less water and nutrients to grow produce, and climate change threatens agricultural yields, it could be possible in the future for people in harsh environments with little accessible water to hydroponically grow their own plant-based food.[13][8]
Hydroponics is not only used on earth, but has also proven itself in plant production experiments in space.[14]
^Jones, J. B. Jr. (2004). Hydroponics: A Practical Guide for the Soilless Grower (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, London, New York, Washington, D. C.: CRC Press. pp. 153–166. ISBN978-0-8493-3167-1.
^Nagel, K.A.; Kastenholz, B.; Gilmer, F.; Schurr, U.; Walter, A. (2010). "Novel detection system for plant protein production of pharmaceuticals and impact on conformational diseases". Protein and Peptide Letters. 17 (6): 723–731. doi:10.2174/092986610791190282. PMID20015023.
^
Compare:
Gericke, William F. (1938). "Crop production without soil". Nature. 141 (3569): 536–540. Bibcode:1938Natur.141..536G. doi:10.1038/141536a0. S2CID38739387. It is, of course, not inconceivable that industry may develop and manufacture equipment at markedly greater economy than prevails at present, thereby increasing the number of crops that can be grown economically.
^Stutte, G. W.; Newsham, G.; Morrow, R. M.; Wheeler, R. M. (2012). "Concept for Sustained Plant Production on ISS Using VEGGIE Capillary Mat Rooting System". 41st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 17–21 July 2011, Portland, Oregon. pp. 1–17. doi:10.2514/6.2011-5263. hdl:2060/20110011606. ISBN978-1-60086-948-8. S2CID13847293.