Aeroponics pt 1

Agenda:

• Introduction
• Methods used (Aeroponics System)

ð   Limitations

ð   Success

• Types of Aeroponics
• Latest (21st-century) Aeroponics

Aeroponics:

·       A process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium (known as geoponics).

-Wikipedia-

·        A technique for growing plants without soil or hydroponic media. The plants are held above a system that constantly mists the roots with nutrient-laden water.

-thefreedictionary-

ð     (Our group’s definition): An advanced technique used for the growing of plants in an air or mist condition excluding the presence of soil and water.

ð     Thus, we can grow a beanstalk which would make Jack proud of us now! ·        Derived from the Greek meanings of "aero" (air) and "ponos" (labour)

·       Is different from hydroponics and in-vitro (plant tissue culture) growing

·       Carried out without a growing medium where the roots of the plants need NOT be immersed in any liquid such as water. Thus, the system is mobile.

·       MAY also be known as Aeroculture or a type of hydroponics - Water is needed and used in aeroponics to transmit nutrients to the growing plants

·       First started in the 1940s

·       Is a modular system

Misconceptions:

û     Aeroponics is similar to hydroponics

ü      In aeroponics the roots have no contact with any media unlike in hydroponics.

û       Aeroponically grown plants are more frail than plants grown in the soil

ü      In actual fact, they are more “well fed” than most of their soil counterparts!

Methods used:

·       1. Grow plants suspended in a tightly sealed or semi-closed environment by spraying the plant's dangling roots and lower stem with an atomized, nutrient-rich water solution.

ð     The leaves and crown (also known as the "canopy") will extend above. The roots of the plant are separated by the plant support structure.

·        2. Cell foam is compressed numerous times around the lower stem and inserted into an opening in the aeroponic chamber, which decreases labour and expense.

ð     For larger plants, *trellising is used to suspend the weight of vegetation and fruit.

*Trellising - A structure of open latticework, especially one used as a support for vines and other creeping plants

OPTIMUM Growing Condition

·       Free from pests and disease - Plants may grow healthier and more quickly than plants grown in a medium such as soil

ð     Limitation 1: As it is IMPOSSIBLE and DIFFICULT to enclosed most Aeroponic environments completely from external surroundings, pests and disease may still pose a THREAT to the growing plants.

ð     Limitation 2: Root systems of Aeroponics (also known as Aeroponic roots) are SENSITIVE to their surroundings. Thus, even if the apparatus used are unable to function properly, the growing process can still be conducted due to the combination with *conventional hydroponics.

ð     *Conventional Hydroponics - Used as an emergency "crop saver" to backup nutrition and water supply

ð     Success: Controlled environments speed up plant development, health, growth, flowering and fruiting for any types of plants and cultivars.

Types of Aeroponics:

·        Low-pressure units

ð     Plant roots: suspended above a reservoir of nutrient solution or inside a channel connected to a reservoir

ð     A low-pressure pump: delivers nutrient solution via jets or by ultrasonic transducers, which then drips or drains back into the reservoir

ð      As plants grow to maturity in these units they tend to suffer from dry sections of the root systems, which prevent adequate nutrient uptake

ð     These units, because of cost, lack features to purify the nutrient solution, and adequately remove  debris and unwanted pathogens.

ð     Such units are usually suitable for bench top growing and demonstrating the principles of aeroponics.

·        High-pressure devices

ð     Mist: generated by high-pressure pump(s)

ð     Include technologies for air and water purification, nutrient sterilization, low-mass polymers and pressurized nutrient delivery systems

ð     typically used in the cultivation of high value crops and plant specimens that can offset the high setup costs associated with this method of horticulture

·        Commercial systems

ð     comprise high-pressure device hardware and biological systems

ð      The biological systems matrix includes enhancements for extended plant life and crop maturation

ð     Biological subsystems and hardware components include effluent controls systems, disease prevention, pathogen resistance features, precision timing and nutrient solution pressurization, heating and cooling sensors, thermal control of solutions, efficient photon-flux light arrays, spectrum filtration spanning, fail-safe sensors and protection, reduced maintenance & labor saving features, and ergonomics and long-term reliability features.

ð     Similar as the high-pressure devices, it is used for the cultivation of high value crops where multiple crop rotations are achieved on an ongoing commercial basis 24/7.

• ·              Expensive
  ·         Pumps are usually installed and calibrated so that to enable the plants to receive aerating times between feeding times. Thus, the aerate times are programmable
  ·         (Most) Do not utilize the standard PVC piping. Instead, they use a higher grade PVC that is coated with titanium dioxide.

Latest (21st-century) Aeroponics:

ð     An enhancement and development in life support for non-damaging plant support, seed germination, environmental control and rapid unrestricted growth artificially unlike the method of hydroponics and drip irrigation techniques which have been used for decades by traditional agriculturalists.

ð     Makes  high density companion planting of various food and horticultural crops without the use of pesticides possible and plausible

ð     E.G. Aeroponic bio-pharming which is used to grow pharmaceutical medicine inside  plants parts. It allows for completed containment of allow effluents and by-products of biopharma crops to remain inside a closed-loop facility.

ð     E.G. Large scale integration of aeroponics. The university's Agrobiotech Research Center, under the direction of Dr.N.Thqch, is using aeroponic laboratories to advance Vietnam's minituber potato production for certified seed potato production.

Historical importance: Ist time a nation has specifically called out for aeroponics to further an agricultural sector, stimulate farm economic goals, meet increased demands, improve food quality and increase food production.
"We have shown that aeroponics, more than any other form of agricultural technology, will significantly improve Vietnam's potato production. We have very little tillable land, aeroponics makes complete economic sense to us”

 Dr.N.Thach.

Aeroponic integration in Vietnam agriculture will begin by producing a low cost certified disease-free organic minitubers, which in turn will be supplied to local farmers for their field plantings of seed potatoes and commercial potatoes. Potato farmers will benefit from aeroponics because their seed potatoes will be disease-free and grown without pesticides. Most importantly for the Vietnamese farmer, it will lower their cost of operation and increase their yields.

Considered as a historical feat to grow corn aeroponically for large scale bio massing, it acts as a huge consolation for researchers who have experienced previous attempts to grow all types of corn using hydroponics but failed. However, one will have to keep the corn pollens safely to prevent them from getting contaminated and the environment from GMO .