DACC partners with NMSU to develop hydroponic plant system for Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
Doña Ana Community College and New Mexico State University developed a hydroponic plant system that will be used for research and educational demonstrations at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
Modified container unit will support research, experimentation and public education in controlled-environment agriculture
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana Community College has partnered with New Mexico State University to develop a hydroponic plant system that will support agricultural research and educational demonstrations at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
Kevin Gall, a faculty member in DACC’s Building Construction Technology program, worked with NMSU to design and build the system inside a modified container unit. The system grows plants without soil by delivering mineral nutrient solutions through an irrigation system.
Officials say the container will be relocated to the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, where it will be used for continued experimentation and research and for educational demonstrations.
In hydroponic systems, plant roots are suspended in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. The method allows plants to grow in controlled conditions while using water and nutrients more efficiently.
DACC students assisted with the project by installing shelving units inside the container to support plant production.
“This container is the future. It will allow for a more controlled environment in the region’s agriculture,” Gall said. “Not only does it allow us to control the habitat, but allows for sustainable growing practices.”
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