SNAP, a Modified Hydroponics System
January 2, 2009 by Leo 8,486 Views
The SNAP technology is very apt for leafy vegetables like lettuce, pechay, mustard and upland kangkong. The main difference between SNAP and other forms of hydroponics system is their complete nutrient solution.
You only need styrofoam boxes and cups, vegetable seeds, coco coir or saw dust, water and a liquid complete fertilizer and voila!—you can have your own vegetable garden in your own houses. This is the idea behind SNAP—an acronym for Simple Nutrient Addition Program, the latest hydroponics system developed at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos’ (UPLB) Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB). SNAP also connotes the literal meaning of the word—easy job, breeze, smooth-sailing, cinch, quick.
In 1999, scientists Primitivo Jose Santos and Eureka Teresa Ocampo, both university researchers, started to develop a low-cost hydroponics system. “That was our objective,” Santos explained. “If we use the imported hydroponics system, farmers really cannot afford it. A small greenhouse can cost you around P4 million. So we tried to explore other possibilities and we were lucky because the DA-BAR funded this project.”
With coco-coir or saw dust acting as the growth medium, Santos said the SNAP technology is very apt for leafy vegetables like lettuce, pechay, mustard and upland kangkong. “Those are the crops that I advice beginners to plant because they’re very easy to grow. But for those who have experience in soil less gardening, you can also plant tomato, watermelon, cucumber and eggplant.”
The main difference between SNAP and other forms of hydroponics systems, according to Santos, is their nutrient solution, which they developed in their laboratory. “This is what we call the complete fertilizer. Normally, the fertilizers that you can find in the market are just the basic nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), which we consider a misnomer. The nutrient solution that we have developed contains all the essential nutrients that the plants need. It’s concentrated and in liquid form. It comes in 1.5 liter bottles. If you’re planting on a per box basis, you need only to mix 50 ml to 10 liters of water.”
The SNAP nutrient solution is also cheap. Two liters of water with solution costs only 50 centavos and in Santos’ estimate, sums up to an expense of around P1.00 per plant. “Based on our economic studies, a farmer can easily get around more than 50% of their Return-On-In-vestment (ROI) if they use this technology. In fact, a farm in San Jose, Batangas has adapted this and also came up with that figure.”
Santos declares that in adapting SNAP, one has the option to spray insecticides or fungicides in the plant. “You can actually combine organic and inorganic cultural methods. You can use botanical insecticide or you can merely pick up and kill the insects yourself. It’s really your choice. The only thing I advice is that if you grow your vegetables near the window, make sure there’s morning sunlight there.
Running the SNAP Hydroponics System
Materials needed:
- Seedling plugs
- SNAP nutrient solution
- Growing boxes
- (Optional) Benches or stand-where the growing boxes will be placed under a shelter.
- Rain shelter (or roof awning facing east for the earliest and longest sunlight possible)
- Plastic drum or orocan drum – where the SNAP nutrient solution will be mixed.
Procedure:
- Arrange the growing boxes on the bench under the shelter. Take off the cover/lid.
- Fill each growing box with around 10 liters of tap water.
- Add 75 ml of SNAP A to each box of water then stir well.
- Add 75 ml of SNAP B to each box then stir well.
- Put back the cover of the box.
- Place the seedling plugs on the holes of the cover. See to it that all cups are “inserted” uniformly or level from one another.
- See to it that the bottom of the box is touching the nutrient solution at most by Vi inch deep, not any deeper. If not, add more water until the desired level is reached.
- Examine the boxes for leaks and make some troubleshooting.
- Visit the set up every morning as early as you can to catch any insect larva that may eat the plants (the larva is visible in the early morning. After that, they tend to hide already and harder to find)
- Expect the nutrient solution level to go down when the plants are much bigger than were they were still small seedlings. Replenish the solution when more than one inch from the cup bottom has been depleted.
- NEVER allow the level of the solution to reach the bottom of the cup; Replenish until about 1/2 inch below the cup’s bottom.
- It is more practical to prepare the nutrient solution in a drum and then just distribute the prepared solution to each growing box and use the leftover solution for replenishing.
For more information, contact:
PJA Santos and ETM Qcampo
Institute Plant Breedin-CSC-CA, UP Los Banos, Laguna
Tel. Nos: +63(49)536-2329
Cel. No: +63(917)525-1269
Web: www.uplb.edu.ph/ca/ca_contactinfo
author: Ronald G. Mangubat, Marid Digest.
2009 · All Rights Reversed ·
The Institute of Plant Breeding, UPLB will be hosting another 1-day training course on the principles and conduct of SNAP hydroponics. on April 15. Interested individuals will please contact the Extension Group at telephone number 63 49 5363438 or 5760024. Fee is 2000 pax, inclusive of 1 SNAPkit, 1 training manual and 2 snacks.
What time is the seminar?
Also interested in attending a seminar about snap hydroponics. Would like to visit an existing site.
to those looking for SNAP Nutrients, Growing Media and Styro boxes, we have our stocks in Marikina City. for those living in the nearby provinces we can arrange the delivery for you. text +639192182273 or email donruancarlo@yahoo.com for queries. you can also visit http://www.donruancarlo.multiply.com.
include some video materials for clear demos.
The Institute of Plant Breeding, UPLB will be hosting another 1-day training course on the principles and conduct of SNAP hydroponics. on April 15. Interested individuals will please contact the Extension Group at telephone number 63 49 5363438 or 5760024. Fee is 2000 pax, inclusive of 1 SNAPkit, 1 training manual and 2 snacks.
Very much interested in Snap hydroponics, where can I attend seminar, am in Mandaluyong City. How about in Bacolod, do you conduct seminars there too?
i heard about ph levels of solution on water ,do this matter on SNAP? please email info jeddahpinoy@yahoo.com
hello everybody,but please can anybody help me build or design a hydroponic shelter that can expand if need be.any ideas please and istimated cost,am i askin too much? hehehe please be kind to animals
Dear Friends from The Phillipines,
I am happy to see and learn that SNAP Hydroponics is happening in your country.
In fact we just launched a project in India recently and we too set up India’s First Vegetable Garden at Bangalore India.
The Gallery section shows all pictures of our Simplified Hydroponics System.
If you need any information from me please do write back.
We trained 126 students recently and are starting a course again on 7th May 2009 in India at a city called Bangalore.
@CV Prakash, thanks for additional inputs.
I am interested to attend a seminar on hydroponics, can you recommend one for beginners like me?
GUd pm,thanks for the information you posted today about my question Snap Hydrophonics Nutrients Solution.You enlightened my knowledge.And theres no reason to stop my will to be snap hydophonics grower.I will encourage my kababayan here in Bulacan to adopt this method of farming.Many thanks.GOd bless!!!
additional hints:
In my experience SNAP nutrient solution when not properly covered caters to the growth of algae and mosquito larvae.
Hydroponics nutrient solution (for SNAP or otherwise) is not banned for sale in the Philippines or otherwise.
If you can visit any hydroponics farm or garden,try to watch out for persons in chemical suits or chemical resistant gloves and full face mask. You won’t find any.
I and my children have eaten my hydroponically homegrown petsays and lettuces, we are all well and I am still able to write to this blog. If you eat at McDo, Jollibee, KFC, or bought Salad Time lettuce packs chances are you also have eaten them.
I encourage you to try SNAP hydroponics, with responsible research and responsible mentors, you can be well on your way in growing your veggies.
Just google ” hydroponics nutrient solution hazardous environment health safety risks” and you’d find more answers.
joey javier,
Understanding the “soil food web”, where microorganism lifeforms are taken into great consideration, inorganic fertilizers were believed to be bad, that is, in contact with the soil/micro/macro lifeforms.
Plants does not “eat” fertilizer chemicals but “ions”, whichever you use – inorganic or organic fertilizer – it must first be made into ionic form to be of use to the plants.
In hydroponics there is no soil to pollute to begin with.
Maybe we should be more concerned with chemical pesticides in hydroponics. While inorganic fertilizers is hazardous if not handled or used according to its intended purpose – like drinking it, eating eat or breathing it – I would not also eat, drink and breathe-in organic fertilizer like composted chiken dung or cow dung or septic sludge.
Hydroponics is an environmentally sound alternative to traditional soil agriculture. It saves water, saves labor, saves landspace, if you know how to deal with it.
Hope somehow I made some sense in this topic. :)
Gud am, im interested to snap hydrophonics.But my problem is some people told me that the nutrient used in this kind of farming is inorganic or chemical element.PLs. I want to ask you sir,where i can search a site in internet that snap hydrophonics nutrient is safe to our health.Good day!AND GOD BLESS U!
I there any harmful effect especially to our health about vegetable harvested from snap hydrophonics?How about the snap nutrient,they are using chemicals?Right?
@joey javier, that’s a good question. any words from the snap hydroponics expert?