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Case Study:
Nuffield Scholarship for Hydroponic Producer: Hieu Ly
South Australian horticulturalist Hieu Ly was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship for 2010, which provides young Australian primary producers the opportunity to travel internationally and explore agricultural issues and opportunities in a global context.
Mr. Ly will use his scholarship, supported by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the Australian Government, to investigate hydroponic vegetable production.
Mr. Ly runs a hydroponic vegetable business with his father, producing truss tomatoes in a greenhouse hydroponic system at Waterloo Corner, north of Adelaide. They also manufacture and install hydroponic systems for other growers and assist with the conversion from soil to hydroponic production techniques. Mr. Ly plans to investigate the best practice in hydroponics, particularly tomato production, and to evaluate equipment and techniques for application in Australia.
“Hydroponics is a booming industry all around Australia and many growers are converting soil-based systems to hydroponics in passive glasshouses,” Mr Ly said. “But hydroponic systems require a huge investment, particularly for smaller family businesses, and managing these systems is very different to managing soil-grown crops. We need to evaluate the equipment and techniques that will work for us.
“I don’t think Australia should rely solely on Dutch technology, for instance, even though they are world leaders in hydroponics, because their climate and business management systems are not the same as ours. Learning how to grow the best crops possible in low-tech, protected, passive glasshouses will be the major focus of my studies,” he said.
The 2010 Australian Nuffield Scholars will leave Australia in February, June, or September 2010 for a Global Focus Program, under which they will travel to China, North America, South America, Middle East, India, and Europe for investigating agricultural marketing, trade, and environmental issues and experiencing the different social and cultural aspects of each region.
Following the initial six-week program, the scholars will go their individual ways to pursue specific study programs in their chosen country or countries. Mr. Ly plans to visit the US, Japan, and Netherlands during his individual study tour.
