Difference between revisions of "Hydroponics basin"

Revision as of 16:37, 1 October 2022

A hydroponics basin provides a highly fertile medium, making crops grow faster.

Acquisition

Hydroponics basins can be constructed once the Hydroponics research project has been completed. They require 100 Steel, 1 Component, 2,800 ticks (46.67 secs) of work, and a Construction skill of 4.

Summary

A powered hydroponics basin acts as a terrain with 280% soil fertility, twice that of rich soil. The exact speed boost depends on the Fertility Sensitivity of the plant in question. For example, rice gets the full 280% effect, while potatoes won't benefit nearly as much.

Hdroponics basins are placed on the ground. In order to function, they require 70 watts of power, day and night. This is absolutely critical, as when unpowered, its plants will wither very quickly. Basins work indoors and outdoors, and don't short circuit in the rain. They can't be uninstalled, only deconstructed for half their value as usual. Each basin has a cleanliness value of -3, making a large hydroponics farm a very "dirty" prospect.

Hydroponics only provides soil fertility, so all other plant growth conditions must be met. Plants may require temperature regulation and light, which is obtained by being indoors with a heater/cooler and sunlamp.

Colonists will automatically plant only 1 type of plant per basin. A hydroponics basin defaults to planting rice plants. The following plants can be grown in hydroponics basins:

Analysis

Hydroponics basins can almost triple (280%) the output compared to standard fields on the same footprint. This alone makes them a no-brainer for many players. However, this output comes at nearly triple the labour - hydroponics only increases growth rate, not harvest yield. So if growers and harvesters are already in high demand, then adding hydroponics won't help. Also, hydroponics has a much weaker effect on plants with lower fertillity sensitivity, like potatoes.

Power is absoultely critical to use, as plants will quickly die without it. It is recommended to have batteries and/or alternative power sources in the case of breakdowns and conduit explosions. A long solar flare will kill all hydroponic crops, though colonists can harvest crops to prevent a total loss.

Not all crops may grow in hydroponics. The following plants can't be grown in a hydroponics basin:

When making a "greenhouse", you must consider other plant needs. In order to grow crops when the outside temperature is too cold/hot, they must be grown indoors and under a roof, before the temperature can be changed by heaters or coolers. Sun lamps are required to grow most crops (all crops in the base game) in a roofed room, in the absence of sunlight. Note that standing lamps aren't suitable for crop growth, as they provide a maximum of 50% lighting and do not "stack" (plants require 51% light). Sun lamps in particular consume a large amount of power, so that must be taken into consideration.

The DLC-exclusive plants Fibercorn and Nutrifungus do not require a sun lamp to function. Fibercorn can grow under a standing lamp (requiring only 30% light), and Nutrifungus must not have any light. However, their extremely low Fertility Sensitivity makes building hydroponics basins for them largely a waste of resources.

Sun lamp arrangement

For additional analysis, see Sun lamp.

It is possible to fit 24 hydroponics basins inside the "brightly lit" area of a sun lamp with the following configuration:

This Setup will use 4580W at day and 1680W at night. A Solar generator produces 1700W and a Geothermal generator 3600W, so three Solar Generators (and a few Batteries) or one Geothermal generator (plus a little help) are needed to power it.

If there is a roof over the hydroponics area, it may be wise to use the four empty tiles for roof support columns. This is not necessary if there are supports immediately outside the sun lamp's radius. These tiles could also be used for plant pots or art to boost growers' mood.

Outdoors

Alternatively, you can opt to put all your hydroponics basins outdoors, using the natural light outside to grow plants. This negates the controlled temperature and light level advantage of indoor greenhouses, but saves a great deal of power.

This method is very effective, for example, in an Extreme Desert which has a year-round growing season but not much available soil.

Version history

0.0.245 - Balanced down hydroponics growth rate.
0.3.410 - Fertility increase and requires power or the plants die. You can also now set what to grow on them.
Since Beta 19 it now requires components to build, and the default crop was changed to rice (from potatoes). It also received a remodel.

The Old Hydroponics Texture

Architect

Production | Neolithic: Art bench • Brewery • Butcher spot • Butcher table • Campfire • Crafting spot • Fueled stove • Fermenting barrel • Simple research bench
Medieval: Fueled smithy • Hand tailor bench • Stonecutter's table
Industrial: Biofuel refinery • Deep drill • Drug lab • Electric crematorium • Electric smelter • Electric smithy • Electric stove • Electric tailor bench • Fabrication bench • Hi-tech research bench • Hydroponics basin • Machining table • Nutrient paste dispenser (Hopper)
Related: Bioferrite shaper • Serum lab

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 == Analysis ==
 [[File:SunlampHydroponics.png|350px|thumb|right]]
-Hydroponics basins can almost triple (280%) the output compared to standard fields on the same footprint. This alone makes them a no-brainer for many players. However, this output comes at nearly triple the labour - hydroponics only increases growth rate, not harvest yield. So if growers and harvesters are already in high demand, then adding hydroponics won't help. Hydroponics has a much weaker effect on plants with lower fertillity sensitivity, like [[potato plant|potatoes]].
+Hydroponics basins can almost triple (280%) the output compared to standard fields on the same footprint. This alone makes them a no-brainer for many players. However, this output comes at nearly triple the labour - hydroponics only increases growth rate, not harvest yield. So if growers and harvesters are already in high demand, then adding hydroponics won't help. Also, hydroponics has a much weaker effect on plants with lower fertillity sensitivity, like [[potato plant|potatoes]].
 Power is absoultely critical to use, as plants will quickly die without it. It is recommended to have [[Battery|batteries]] and/or alternative power sources in the case of [[Events#Breakdown|breakdowns]] and [[Events#ZZZtt...|conduit explosions]].  A long [[Events#Solar Flare|solar flare]] will kill all hydroponic crops, though colonists can harvest crops to prevent a total loss.
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 * [[Devilstrand mushroom]]
-When making an indoors "greenhouse", you must consider other plant needs. [[Heater]]s and [[cooler]]s must be indoors and under a roof to actually function. [[Sun lamp]]s are required to grow most crops (all crops in the base game) in a roofed room, in the absence of sunlight. Note that [[standing lamp]]s aren't suitable for crop growth, as they provide a maximum of 50% lighting and do not "stack" (plants require 51% light). Sun lamps in particular consume a large amount of power, so that must be taken into consideration.
+When making a "greenhouse", you must consider other plant needs. In order to grow crops when the outside temperature is too cold/hot, they must be grown indoors and under a roof, before the temperature can be changed by [[heater]]s or [[cooler]]s. [[Sun lamp]]s are required to grow most crops (all crops in the base game) in a roofed room, in the absence of sunlight. Note that [[standing lamp]]s aren't suitable for crop growth, as they provide a maximum of 50% lighting and do not "stack" (plants require 51% light). Sun lamps in particular consume a large amount of power, so that must be taken into consideration.
 The DLC-exclusive plants [[Fibercorn]]{{IdeologyIcon}} and [[Nutrifungus]]{{IdeologyIcon}} do not require a sun lamp to function. Fibercorn can grow under a standing lamp (requiring only 30% light), and Nutrifungus must not have any light. However, their extremely low Fertility Sensitivity makes building hydroponics basins for them largely a waste of resources.