Hydroponic agriculture at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida. (AFP)
Video: hydroponic gardening at Disney’s Epcot Center
By Eoin O'Carroll | 07.18.08
A single tomato plant that has produced more than 32,000 tomatoes in a year. A sprout growing into a full head of lettuce in just four weeks. Pumpkins shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head.
The fruits and vegetables on display at Disney World’s Epcot Center in Florida sound like freaky genetic engineering experiments, but they actually rely on hydroponics, a technology used in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon more than 26 centuries ago.
(OK, so maybe the Hanging Gardens didn’t feature Mickey-Mouse-shaped gourds, but who knows? Perhaps they grew them to look like Nebuchadnezzar’s head.)
Today, the technique of growing plants in a nutrient-rich solution instead of soil has potential to drastically increase agricultural output, particularly in areas such as deserts and cities that would not otherwise grow food. Hydroponic systems often give plants more nutrition and allow them to grow faster, while at the same time consuming less water, energy, and space. You can arrange the plants closer together, even stacking them on top of each other. What’s more, hydroponic plants can be shipped live, allowing for fresher produce.
In this Agence France-Presse video, you can see how Epcot’s growers are coming up with techniques that can help feed the world.
<< NYC speeds hybrid taxi switch | MainComments
2. C. Raedeker | 04.14.09
Wow! 32000 tomatoes in one year! I wonder what variety of tomato they are growing.
3. Sean Cornely | 11.12.09
It is amazing that one plant can grow 32,000 tomatoes!! We are fascinated by these tomatoes!! Our class learned about this today and we are growing hydroponic bean plants in our classroom.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
Leave a Comment
We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. The comments feature is a forum to discuss the ideas in our stories. Constructive debate - even pointed disagreement - is welcome, but personal attacks on other commenters are not, and will not be published.
Tip: Do not write a novel. Keep it short. We will not publish lengthy comments. Come up with your own statements. This is not a place to cut and paste an email you received. If we recognize it as such, we won't post it.
Please do not post any comments that are commercial in nature or that violate copyrights.
Finally, we will not publish any comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence.
1. Annette | 01.29.09
Cool! We are learning about Hydroponics in technology Class, and I had no idea Disney was doing it!