Introduction
Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions that supplies the all the nutrients plants acquire from soil.
Simple Nutrient Addition Program or SNAP Hydroponics is a safe, easy to use and low-cost hydroponics system that is ideal for household level and small-scale commercial vegetable production.
The SNAP Hydroponics Project
SNAP Hydroponics was developed in the Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-UPLB) with the support of the Bureau of Agricultural Research. Its goal is to introduce the Filipino masses to hydroponics.
The project was headed by IPB scientists Dr. Primitivo Jose Santos (retired) and Dr. Eureka Teresa Ocampo.
The project was started back in 1999 and many have benefited from it.
SNAP Nutrient Solution for Hydroponics
SNAP Nutrient Solution for Hydroponics is one of the outputs of the SNAP Hydroponics project. It’s hydroponic nutrient formulation based on Hoagland’s solution. SNAP nutrients come in two bottles: SNAP A and SNAP B.
Bottle and label designs of SNAP nutrients change regularly. IPB-UPLB is constantly trying to find ways the make SNAP packaging more secure and sturdy without driving up the cost.
Compared to other nutrient solution brands and formulations SNAP Nutrients has in the only one to be able to produce good results without requiring the constant monitoring of the nutrient solution’s pH. This allows beginners to fully realize the benefits of hydroponic crop production without the complexities of the science behind the system. In addition, SNAP doesn’t require additional tools or supplies like pH/TDS testers and pH adjustment kits. It’s just a simple nutrient addition program.
According to Dr. Santos and Dr. Ocampo:
… Unlike other nutrient solutions in the market that require frequent monitoring of the pH to correct the rapid decrease in pH, the use of SNAP nutrient solution minimizes this monitoring because of its high buffering capacity (resists drop in pH). This unique quality of SNAP nutrient solutions makes it possible to use the nutrient solution in the hydroponic system for more than one month without replacing the solution running in the hydroponics system.