By Max Sargent


Hydroponic farming is a novel, highly effective and promising method of cultivating plants without the need for soil. This innovative approach offers an efficient way to use resources, allowing for high yields within controlled environments. Despite these advantages, hydroponic growers often encounter challenges like nutrient deficiencies, plant stress, and suboptimal growth rates. Although traditional fertilisers provide essential nutrients, they do not always ensure optimal uptake by the plants.

Enter amino acids—a promising advancement in hydroponics. These fundamental building blocks of proteins play a vital role in plant metabolism and, when integrated into hydroponic systems, can dramatically improve nutrient absorption, bolster plant resilience against stress, and enhance overall crop yield. Here, we’re looking at how amino acids could revolutionise hydroponics. Understanding the role of amino acids in plant growth can enable hydroponic enthusiasts to fine-tune their systems, resulting in healthier, more productive plants.

The Benefits of Amino Acids in Hydroponic Systems

Using additional amino acids in hydroponic systems can bring various benefits to your growing endeavours, and you may as well utilise these benefits for more productive grows!

Infographic showing plant growth stages with the text

Enhanced Nutrient Uptake

Amino acids act as natural chelating agents, aiding in the binding and transport of essential minerals within the plant. In hydroponic systems, where plants depend solely on nutrient solutions, the efficiency of nutrient uptake is paramount. Amino acids like glycine and glutamic acid increase the bioavailability of key micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and calcium, ensuring more effective absorption by plants.

Moreover, amino acids support root development by stimulating the production of root hair cells, thereby increasing the surface area for nutrient absorption. A robust root system is critical for hydroponic plants, ensuring steady access to essential nutrients, which, in turn, promotes healthier and more vigorous growth. Additionally, amino acids can help mitigate the common issue of nutrient lockout, where plants are unable to absorb nutrients effectively due to imbalances in the nutrient solution.

Illustration of a cannabis plant with arrows showing enhanced nutrient uptake in a hydroponic system, highlighting the role of amino acids (glutamic acid) in absorbing iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca).

Boosting Stress Tolerance and Plant Growth

Fluctuations in environmental conditions, including temperature changes, high salinity, and water quality issues, can stress hydroponic plants. Amino acids are crucial in helping plants navigate these stressors by serving as precursors for stress-related proteins and enzymes.

Proline, for instance, accumulates in plant cells under stress, aiding in maintaining cellular integrity and preventing dehydration. Similarly, methionine contributes to the synthesis of ethylene, a hormone that regulates plant growth responses to stress. By fortifying hydroponic systems with amino acids, growers can bolster their plants' resilience against adverse conditions, ensuring consistent growth rates. Amino acids also play a role in osmotic regulation, helping plants maintain water balance even under suboptimal environmental conditions.

Image comparing a stressed plant with yellowing leaves on the left to a healthy green plant on the right, labeled

Increasing Yield and Quality

Research has demonstrated that integrating amino acids into hydroponic systems leads to considerable boosts in crop yield and quality. With an ample supply of amino acids, plants can allocate more energy to growth, flowering, and fruit production.

Amino acids also influence the synthesis of secondary metabolites, the compounds responsible for the flavour, colour, and aroma in fruits and vegetables. Consequently, crops cultivated with amino acid supplementation exhibit richer flavours, more vibrant colours, and enhanced market value. Furthermore, certain amino acids, such as tryptophan, contribute to auxin synthesis, a plant hormone that directly influences cell division and elongation, leading to stronger stems, larger fruits, and overall improved plant structure.

Best Practices for Using Amino Acids in Hydroponic Systems

Using amino acids in your hydro grow isn’t very challenging, but you should ensure you know how to employ them for best results.

Recommended Amino Acids

Not all amino acids offer the same benefits. The most effective types are L-amino acids, known for being biologically active and easily absorbed by plants. Key amino acids include:

  • Glycine and Glutamic Acid: Enhance nutrient chelation and uptake.
  • Proline: Improves stress tolerance.
  • Methionine: Supports hormone synthesis and root development.
  • Arginine: Stimulates plant growth and flowering.
  • Tryptophan: A precursor to auxins, which promote cell elongation and overall growth.
  • Serine: Plays a role in the synthesis of essential lipids and proteins required for cell function.

Dosage and Frequency Guidelines

The ideal dosage of amino acids depends on the crop type, growth stage, and broader nutrient management strategy. Typically, amino acids should be used in concentrations between 0.5 to 2 grams per litre of nutrient solution. It’s advisable to start with lower concentrations, adjusting based on plant response.

Applications can occur weekly or biweekly, depending on plant needs. Overuse should be avoided as it can disrupt nutrient balance in hydroponic systems. Additionally, keeping track of pH levels is crucial, as an imbalance may hinder amino acid effectiveness.

Application Techniques

Various methods exist for integrating amino acids into hydroponic systems:

  • Foliar Spray: Direct application to plant leaves enables rapid absorption, ideal for stress relief and quick nutrient correction.
  • Nutrient Solution: Adding amino acids to the hydroponic reservoir provides a steady supply throughout the plant’s growth cycle.
  • Seed Treatment: Pre-soaking seeds in amino acid solutions can enhance germination rates and early seedling development.
  • Root Drenching: Direct application to the root zone can further improve uptake efficiency.
Illustration outlining hydroponic guidelines, showing dosage and frequency with a beaker and calendar, and application techniques including foliar spray, nutrient solution, seed treatment, and root drenching.

Do’s and Don'ts for Using Amino Acids

Do’s:
  • Opt for L-amino acids to maximise bioavailability.
  • Apply amino acids at appropriate concentrations to prevent nutrient imbalances.
  • Monitor plant health and adjust amino acid applications as necessary.
  • Combine amino acids with other organic supplements for a comprehensive nutrient programme.
  • Maintain optimal pH levels to enhance amino acid absorption.
Don'ts:
  • Avoid excessive applications to prevent nutrient antagonism.
  • Do not mix amino acids with highly alkaline solutions as it reduces effectiveness.
  • Refrain from using inferior or synthetic amino acids, which may lack the benefits of naturally derived ones.
  • Neglecting to adjust nutrient formulations when using amino acids can lead to unintended deficiencies or excesses.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Hydroponic growers sometimes mistake amino acids as substitutes for essential nutrients. While they enhance nutrient uptake and metabolism, they do not replace a balanced nutrient solution.

Inconsistent application is another error. To maximise benefits, amino acids must be used consistently. Sporadic use might not yield the desired improvements in growth and yield.

Additionally, maintaining the correct pH level in nutrient solutions (typically between 5.5 and 6.5) is crucial for optimal amino acid absorption. Failure to maintain the correct pH can lead to decreased bioavailability and reduced plant performance.

Using Amino Acids: Boost Your Hydro Op

Amino acids have the potential to revolutionise hydroponic gardening by improving nutrient uptake, enhancing stress tolerance, and augmenting crop yield and quality. By incorporating amino acid supplements into their systems, growers can enhance plant health and productivity.

Success hinges on selecting the right amino acids, applying them at suitable dosages, and maintaining a balanced nutrient environment. With diligent management and proper application, amino acids can become a transformative element in hydroponic cultivation.

FAQ About Amino Acids in Hydroponics

Are amino acids safe for all types of hydroponic systems?
Yes, amino acids are generally safe for most systems, including deep water culture, nutrient film technique, and aeroponics. It’s crucial, however, to monitor their effects on pH and nutrient balance.
How soon can results be seen after using amino acids?
The impact of amino acids can be apparent within a few days to weeks, depending on crop type and environmental conditions.
What is the optimal method to apply amino acids?
Amino acids can be applied as a foliar spray, incorporated into the nutrient solution, or used in seed treatment. Foliar applications yield rapid results, while nutrient solution integration ensures continuous supply.
Can amino acids replace traditional nutrients?
No, amino acids complement traditional nutrients by enhancing nutrient absorption and metabolism. They do not substitute for the essential macro and micronutrients necessary for growth.

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: