Aeroponics is a soil-free plant cultivation technique that uses a nutrient mist sprayed onto suspended roots. It is efficient in water, nutrients, energy, and space, and is ideal for disease-free seed cultivation and high-yield greenhouse cultivation. Aeroponics was first developed in 1942 and is useful for studying the effects of drought or floods on crops. The sterile environment of aeroponics has made cloning plants possible, and it allows plants to be transplanted into soil without transplant shock. Inflatable aeroponic systems have been developed for space applications, making it ideal for growing food in space or other extraterrestrial environments.
Aeroponics is a sophisticated plant cultivation technique ideal for a number of purposes, most notably the cultivation of disease-free seeds and high-yield greenhouse cultivation in the Arctic or in outer space. Aeroponics uses no soil or liquid medium, just a fine nutrient mist sprayed onto the roots suspended in a sealed chamber. This growing method is highly efficient in terms of water, nutrients, energy and space. Aeroponics is sometimes considered a subcategory of hydroponics, because the primary nutrient carrier is water rather than soil.
Aeroponics was first developed in 1942 by W. Carter. The aim was to facilitate the easy examination of the roots for research purposes, still today the primary application of aeroponics. During the 1940s and 1950s, scientists used aeroponics to grow citrus, avocado, apple, coffee, and tomato plants, examine their root structures, and test their response to different humidity levels. Because aeroponics allows the grower to accurately determine water and nutrient concentrations, it is ideal for studying the effects of drought or floods on a variety of crops.
In 1983, Richard Stoner, an aeroponic pioneer to this day, developed the Genesis Rooting System, a commercially available aeroponic system named after a similar device in the second Star Trek film. The Genesis Rooting System was simple to use, requiring a connection to a standard electrical outlet and water faucet. The sterile environment afforded by aeroponics has made cloning plants possible for any grower. Previously, stubborn plant clippings such as cacti and hardwoods were difficult to grow into whole plants due to susceptibility to soil or water bacteria, requiring the use of seeds. Aeroponics provided the bacteria-free environment these clippings needed to grow to maturity.
Unlike hydroponics, aeroponics allows plants to be transplanted into soil without the blight of transplant shock. The atomization and nutrient injection process is microprocessor controlled, requiring minimal attention from the grower. In addition, the sterile environment and constantly replenished growing medium allow plants to be grown in close proximity to each other with little danger of mutual infection. If a plant becomes ill, it can be removed quickly and easily without leaving residual bacteria in the growing medium.
Much enthusiasm has recently been directed towards the use of inflatable aeroponic systems for space applications. Funded by NASA, aeroponic pioneer Stoner has developed a low-mass inflatable aeroponic system ideal for growing food in space or other extraterrestrial environments such as the Moon and Mars. When the first lunar base is installed around 2020, it will likely use aeroponics, eliminating the need to transport large amounts of soil for agriculture.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
