There's probably both set up for both. I mean for whatever school of thought people have on what's more efficient etc, there will always be a crowd that will buy conventional, a crowd that will buy organic due to preference - the latter tends to be more expensive? I'd say that's something to do with it.
I don't have any hydroponic experience, so I don't know what it costs to get set up and running. I'd expect there's more of a learning curve to it. I've also heard you can lose your crop pretty quick if you don't remedy a problem right away. That would really have to suck on a large scale. I just imagine soil being more forgiving and secure for starting a new large scale investment. I don't doubt there are a few capable people out there, but I think most of these new mega weed ranches are just people with money stepping into a new industry. Everybody wants to be the one.
I could be wrong, but organic grows probably take less permits due there not being all the waste water to contend with. Any time you have polluted water to contend with, shit gets expensive, especially on an industrial scale.
It’s all about the cost of setup and return on investment. The largest grow ops are all outdoors. We are talking 50-130 acres. Setting up a hydroponic setup for that many acres is possible but your ROI is going to take awhile and in a market that could crash on you quickly the risk / reward is not in your favor. There are large out door ops doing DTW with coco or rockwool but I would say a very small percentage are running any type of aero, nft, drain/flood or dwc type setup. Human labor is probably the single most expensive variable cost. so having people responsible for maintaining a hydro setup would quickly eat into your profit margin.
I went Hydro because for me its more simple . I use RO water and I know nothing is in it . I know exactly what I have to add to the water.. As a set up a 5 gallon bucket and bubblier and air stones fountain pump isn't that expensive . But the price of a RO system that actually makes 120 GPD and fiberglass pressure tank is. Normally I have six 20 and 30 gallon RDWC systems in operation . Every once in a while I will have a total of ten RDWC systems going at the same time . When I do I use about 2500 gallons of RO water per month . That's about 5000 gallons of water to make the 2500 gallons of RO water . At the store they charge .41 cents per gallon . Nutrients are expensive ( Canna products ) I know that one of the commercial MJ grow factories in the northern part of the state uses RDWC system . What kills me is they are still using HPS lighting .
You would be surprised how many commercial grows still use HID lighting. But I do see a slow transition into the more advanced LEDs
