F F T C Technology
Practical
SNAP hydroponics
H ydroponics is an alternative system of growing
plants without soil. Instead of soil, an inert media
is used into which a nutrient solution containing
essential elements is added for a plant's normal growth
and development.
Existing commercial hydroponics systems vary in
terms of form, size, and type of materials. They need
electric driven pumps for aeration and irrigation.
During a power failure, these systems encounter water
logging and consequently lead to the death of plants.
Thus, a Simple Nutrient Addition Program (SNAP) (Fig.
1) was developed. This system does not require
electricity or aeration, is low cost, and uses simple
methods.
The SNAP hydroponics system is appropriate in
urban areas where soil or space for growing crops is
Styrofoam cup
Seedling
Nutrient solution level
at seedling stage
Nutrient solution level
from 3rd week onwards
Fig. 1. A SNAP hydroponics setup
Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC)
5F, 14 Wenchow St., Taipei 106, Taiwan ROC
Tel.: (886 2) 2362 6239 Fax: (886 2) 2362 0478
E-mail: fftc@agnet.org Website: www.fftc.agnet.org
FFTC: An international information center for
small-scale farmers in Asia
Crops
PT2004-08
not adequate. It may be done in apartments or
townhouses where small terraces can be used in growing
crops for home consumption. The small space is easy to
protect against rain and strong sunlight. The system
requires covered containers or pots that can hold about
2 liters of water, SNAP fertilizer, and seeds of chosen
heat-tolerant vegetables.
Adaptability
Vegetables like lettuce, sweet pepper, cucumber, and
celery were successfully grown using the SNAP
hydroponics system. The use of this system can
improve household income and increase the per capita
vegetable consumption.
Mature
plant
Lid air vent
Lid
Coco coir layer
Garden net layer
Plastic
sheet lining
Cooperating agency for this topic:
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural
Resources Research and Development
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030
Fax: (63 49) 536-0016
E-mail: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

Effectiveness
In the trials conducted during the cold months on
lettuce, the vegetables performed better in SNAP
culture than in the field. Economic analysis of adopting
SNAP hydroponics for commercial lettuce production in
a 200 m2 area showed that it requires an initial
investment of P66,925 and an annual production cost of
P65,555.83 ($1=P56). Assuming ten croppings per year
at the average lettuce price of P50/kilo, the return on
investment will be 51%. The investment cost can be
recovered in less than 2 years.
How it is done
Prepare materials like seedling plugs (Fig. 2) and culture
pot. For seedling plugs, use 6 oz styrofoam cups with
the center bottom (2.5-cm diameter) cut off. Place a
Styrofoam cup
Coco coir dust layer
Fig. 2. Seedling plug
Hole for
holding
seedling plug
Polyethylene
plastic lining
Fig. 3. Grape fruit styrofoam box used to hold seedling plug
and nutrient solution
garden net in the cutoff portion of the cup. Place 1.5 cm
thick coir dust and 1.5 cm sand at the bottom of the cup.
For culture pots, use recycled styrofoam grape
boxes (Fig. 3). Make holes big enough to hold the
seedling plugs by their necks. Line the bottom with
polyethylene plastic sheet (0.02 mm thick) to prevent
the solution from leaking. Place the culture pots inside
the greenhouse.
Prepare the seedlings. Sow seeds in seed boxes.
Transplant seedlings in seedling plugs 2 weeks after
seedling emergence. Place in shallow trays with 1 cm
nutrient solution. If root length grows from 1-2 cm,
transfer to culture pots. The bottom of the seedling
plugs should be submerged by about 1 cm in the culture
pot.
After two weeks, replenish the water with nutrient
solution. Allow the nutrient solution to go below the
bottom of the cups from 1-3 cm to enhance passive
aeration.
Seedling
Garden net
Styrofoam box
lid or top
Nutrient solution
reservoir
Styrofoam box
bottom