Aeroponics System Information For Beginners

Aeroponics System Information:

Aeroponics System – Introduction

To examine the root nodules on peas, Cabot Foundation Laboratories developed Aeroponics system in the years 1973 to 74. What is Aeroponics? As that the name implies, Aeroponics System optimizes the use of air around the main zone for plants to absorb nutrients via water mist for plant development. In this system, the roots are suspended in the air and fed up with a fine mist of nutrient solution for an extremely short period of time with increased frequency intervals. Although, this particular system is considered one kind of hydroponics but nevertheless differs from the conventional hydro and aquaponics growing systems.

The criteria of Aeroponics System derive from cultivating vegetables whose roots find the best condition with regard to oxygenation and dampness. Optimal growing condition by controlling the temperature and humidity assures a farmer with high yields. Even the consumption of plant nutrition that is supplied to a closed circuit of this plant container is very limited allowing nutrients and water savings. As an instance, to produce a kilogram of eggplants in a traditional farm consumes about 250 to 350 liters of water, growing hydroponically consumes about 65 liters of water, while just 15 to 25 liters is absorbed in aeroponics system.

Aeroponics System offers the possibility to enhance crop production and diminish costs compared to traditional farming methods or to any alternate soilless technique of farming. Aeroponics System successfully utilizes every vertical distance for either farming or production of the greenhouse. Every area available in the greenhouse is it horizontal or vertical may be used for the maximum production of food per area.

Difference Between Aeroponics and Hydroponics: Aeroponics System is the method of growing plants or plants with root system vulnerable (exposed) to air. Hydroponics system is your technique of cultivation of plants or plants in nutrient solutions under soil-less conditions.

Hydroponics Vs Aeroponics (Source by Indoor Farmer).
Hydroponics Vs Aeroponics (Source by Indoor Farmer).

Importance of Aeroponics System

The aeroponics growing of plants is becoming a household name for growing plants for their daily food at their kitchen table in metropolitan regions. When the prices of vegetables are growing high and the quality is not fresh farm, above all they all are not chemical free. Because this is a soil-less technique of growing plants, the manual work is cut down considerably while leaving no traces of soil stains. Once it is designed and placed, it begins to operate mechanically with minimum garden work is done to be taken care of. Aeroponics farming can be done to develop few plants to a high number of crops and types growing together by utilizing the maximum distance of a given unused space in any part of the home.

Increased Air Exposure in Aeroponics System: Air in the rhizosphere or root zone is important for the plant to grow healthy. Aeroponics System provides the best environment for the source of clean air and nutrient solution delivering oxygen and nutrition to plant roots which stimulates plant growth. More aeration around root zone helps to stop pathogen formation. Plants require 450 ppm to 780 ppm concentrations of Carbon dioxide which is available in the aeroponics system for photosynthesis.

Water and Nutrient Supply in Aeroponics System: In this method, delivery of nutrients and water to plant roots is done by sprayers, foggers, misters, or some other devices that may produce a fine mist. Water droplet size is the trick to root growth. The 20 to 100-micron droplet size generates excessive root hair system for sustained plant development and massive droplets over 100 microns lead to less oxygenation.

Diseaseless Environment: Greenhouse when well-maintained, chances of plant disease and insect infestation are very less. The transmission of disease from plant to plant can be lessened. An infected particular plant could also be isolated and destroyed without infecting or damaging other plants. Since the greenhouse environment is disease free, more aerated, and nutrient rich; crops could be increased at higher density giving maximum production.

Design and Materials Required for Aeroponics System

The major design factor in the aeroponics system is creating the lowest possible water droplet size. A fine mist will promote bushier, bulkier root hair system which will have significantly more surface area thereby nutrient and oxygen absorption will be high. The origin growing chamber must fulfill the following criteria, it has to be light proof, should have good air ventilation, and must hold humidity. Normally, much of the growing chamber immature designs are airtight not allowing plenty of oxygen because the water might spill out. A design that may equilibrium humidity, oxygen, light, and continuous nutrient supply all four at a time is the best design.

How Aeroponics Works ( Pic Source from RemoveandReplace.com).
How Aeroponics Works ( Pic Source from RemoveandReplace.com).

Materials to Build a Basic Aeroponics System:

  1. Container or reservoir or tank to hold the nutrient solution.
  2. A container is required for root growth.
  3. A good submersible water pump.
  4. PVC Pipes and tubes, PVC tee union, PVC elbow union, for water distribution.
  5. A timer is needed for the water pump.
  6. Mister or sprinkler heads are required for spraying.

Aeroponics System Types

Low-Pressure Aeroponics System: This is the most usual sort of aeroponics system. This sort of systems is sold at most stores for its low maintenance, low price, and runs on simple technology. Sprinkler heads have to be organized that they fully wet the entire root zone. After the root hairs grow big and bulky, covering the entire thick root system gets difficult in this kind of system. The plant roots are suspended in the reservoir having a nutrient solution. The low-pressure water pump supplies the nutrient solution via PVC pipes via sprinkler heads to the roots. The surplus water trickles down the origins and gets back into the reservoir. This is a basic and simple design with no attributes. Even though it has its own limitations but works nicely for home gardening and therefore is popular amongst home growers.

High-Pressure Aeroponics System: In this type of system, the mist is generated by high-pressure water pump creating quite a small size water droplets. The mist can attain uniformly even in the bulky root mass covering complete root mass area letting plants consume more nutrients. Plants of high value are usually cultivated for more production and to get more profits. This system has more features including very good aeration, water purification, nutrient sterilization, and smallest size water droplets. The prices for high pressure are becoming affordable that even home growers began using them in their home gardens.

Ultrasonic Fogger Aeroponics System: This kind of systems is utilized for commercial cultivation. They consist of this high-pressure water heater and enhancements for prolonged plant life and harvest maturation. A few of the features in this system include cooling detectors, thermal management of solutions, precision timing together with the pressurized nutrient solution, fail-safe censors, low labour, ergonomics, and lasting reliability attributes.

Crops are grown in Aeroponics System or Types of Plants to Grow in Aeroponics System

In the aeroponics kind of farming, plant seeds, cuttings, or saplings are put in a netted cup suspended in a growing room, nutrient-laden water is supplied in mist type supplying nutrients for germination and crops to grow. Even though there is a limitation for a number of kinds of plants to develop, a grower has every opportunity to research in growing more forms of crops. Some types of plants (some need trellises) that are being cultivated successfully are as follows.

Vegetable Plants for Aeroponics System: Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Beans, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Gourds, Potatoes, Beets, Carrots, Eggplants, peppers, Corn Salad, and much more.

Growing Tomatoes and Lettuce in Aeroponic System ( Source Wikimedia Commons).
Growing Tomatoes and Lettuce in Aeroponic System ( Source Wikimedia Commons).

Fruit Plants for Aeroponics System: Melons, and Strawberries.

Leafy Greens for Aeroponics System: Wheat Grass, Spinach, Lettuce, Basil, Amaranth, Chives, and much more.

Herbs for Aeroponics System: Mint, Skullcap, Stinging Nettles, Ginger, and Yerba Mansa.

Flower Plants for Aeroponics System: Nasturtiums, Violas, Dianthus, Marigold, Pansies, Hyacinth Bean, Calendula, and much more.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aeroponics System

Advantages of Aeroponics System:

Water Consumption: There is zero water wastage in the aeroponics system. Every drop of water is recycled within the closed circuit. Nearly 98 percent water is stored and the remaining two % is that the water that is consumed by crops because of its own growth.

Fertilization: Minimum fertilizers have been used in this system giving 60 percent savings. The required nutrients are contained in water distribution system in the closed circuit with a composition which may be controlled depending on the cultivation of crop and size. Plant roots absorb required nutrients as well as the nutrients are poisonous, and hence highest quality with minimum fertilizer consumption occurs in this system.

Labor: Minimum employees are required to take care of farming in the aeroponics system. For the acre of this cultivated crop in this system requires approximately two skilled and six unskilled employees. The equivalent region of crop cultivation in greenhouse farming might require about 30 employees.

Yield: The yearly harvest yield per square foot in the aeroponics system is six times that of a greenhouse. Thus, a 1,000 square ft farming in aeroponics is equivalent to an area of 6,000 square feet in greenhouse farming.

Harvest: The environment is controlled manually Thereby creating a natural habitat to the respective harvest. Under this Controlled environments, production and harvesting occur through-out annually. Harvested crop quality and quantity is much superior to conventional farming.

Others:

  1. Agricultural farming and production achievement is no way linked to the region, soil, and soil fertility.
  2. Agricultural farming and production achievement is attained with the limited water source.
  3. Farming is performed in a 3-dimensional growing system manner with an intensive food production on a limited surface area.
  4. Aeroponics farming may be Assembled at near proximity to customers in metropolitan regions, markets Delivering fresh cropped goods with less transportation price.

Disadvantages of Aeroponics System:

Power Dependency in Aeroponics System: Water heaters, timer, misters play an important role in plant survival in the aeroponics system since they provide nutrient to plant origin system. Plants die and reduction of harvest may occur at power outages.

System Maintenance in Aeroponics System: Standard disinfection of Origin chamber must Be done as it shouldn’t be contaminated leading to diseases at the main zone.  

Setup Cost for Aeroponics System: Initial setup cost of this aeroponics system is expensive. Nonetheless, it’s well worth the investment since this is a onetime investment for a long time of continuous fresh vegetable and fruit production.

Technical Knowledge: Technical understanding about an aeroponics system is required for running. Technical know-how such as a number of nutrients per gallon of water, pruning, pill replacements.

Bottom Line of Aeroponics System

Cultivation and growing of crops in a greenhouse based on Aeroponics System is designed to create optimal, economical labor and irrigation management. This program gives a simple administration and high accessibility set up by utilizing both the local and worldwide systems. It is discovered while cultivating crops under soilless growing; there is a reduction of use of water from 98%, fertilizer use by 60%, and no use of herbicides and pesticides. Based on these statistics, we could proceed to a new type of farming to fit the needs of food demand and supply under current depletion of property and its fertility. The simulations can confirm the effectiveness of capacities introduced in the system. Then again, provision of ideal environmental condition for various plants has not been resolved yet till date. Much research is going on worldwide to make an optimal condition for other plants for greenhouse farming; soilless farming will help evaluate the quality of crops and its goods in various environmental conditions by conducting feasibility test.This system works out perfect for home gardeners who live in apartments.

Read here about Goat Farming Project Report.

10 COMMENTS

  1. Hi sir,

    I am interested in seeting up a 2000 sq ft aeroponics system for fruits and vegetables. could you please guide me in setting up this along with the cost?

    regards
    Priya ranjan

  2. My neighbours, a group of 6 engineering and business graduates intend to go for a start up in Aquaponics in the surrounding rural areas of Thrissur, Kerala. The plan is to start small units say in plots of 25,000 sq.fts, in at least a dozen locations to start with in Thrissur district. Later the same shall be extended to all the 14 districts of Kerala. For marketing the produce the plan is to have outlets in populated areas in towns & cities in these districts.I shall be thankful to you if you advise me as your association in this start up as consultants/ suppliers os equipment etc.

  3. I am interested in aeroponic farming i have space in terrace of 1500sqfit, let me know the total cost of farming ( equipment and complete setup

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