The Good News
- Aeroponics systems promote maximum nutrient absorption through plant roots without the interference of a growth medium which can block roots from the spray.
- Aeroponics systems promote massive plant growth by exposing plant roots directly to oxygen up to 95% of the time. Oxygen is a vital component of plants’ ability to absorb and utilize both water and nutrients.
- Aeroponics have proven to produce significantly higher yields than soil-based agriculture, and remarkably, it produces better yields even than advanced hydroponics techniques like NFT, DWC, and Ebb and Flow.
- In high pressure aeroponics and fogponics, the use of water compared to other growth systems is remarkably low. Because plants are able to immediately and completely absorb the small droplets produced in these systems, the amount of mist applied can be finely tuned, resulting in virtually no waste. This means lower water use, fewer nutrients, and no need to constantly treat leftover nutrient solutions for reuse.
- Individual plants, entire crops, or even entire nurseries can be moved or relocated quickly and easily, without damage to individual plants. It’s a simple matter of removing an individual plant from the supporting tray by handling the collar, or transferring an entire supporting tray to a new root chamber in a new location.
- Aeroponics systems take up very little space per number of plants. Plants can be grown very close together since pathogens and diseases cannot spread through shared soil or water, and aeroponic chambers can be stacked in a vertical as well as horizontal configuration to make the most efficient use of space. Many aeroponics systems are modular, allowing both home gardeners and large commercial operations to take maximum advantage of available space. Since aeroponics systems use water and nutrients so efficiently, less storage space needs to be devoted to that purpose as well.
- While there are definite maintenance chores associated with aeroponics systems, they are fewer and easier to manage. There is no need to sterilize growing media between uses, since none is used. Since excess nutrient solution is virtually nil, there’s no need to go through multiple disinfection steps before it can be reused. When the root chamber is completely sealed from light, algae cannot grow, and nutrient solution can be mixed and applied in relatively small batches so that there isn’t any stored and vulnerable to contamination.
- When plants are mature and ready for harvest or transplantation, it’s a quick matter of removing the plant by the collar from the supporting tray. There’s no damage to the roots from trying to free them from a growing medium, meaning transplants are healthier and suffer less shock.
- Aeroponics systems require no digging, no weeding, no kneeling and no mulching. There are no worries about hard freezes or extreme heat and drought. Plants are healthier, and grow faster and stronger than with other approaches.
- Plants like leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other crops that have been associated with food-borne illnesses in the past are safe from common contamination sources like irrigation water or soil surfaces that are vulnerable to feces dropped by wildlife, livestock, or birds.
The Not-Yet Good News
- The issue: Aeroponics growers may have to pay close attention to pH and nutrient density. Since the environment is so controlled, minor changes like water hardness can affect the chemical balances and may quickly damage delicate roots. Over time, as responses to different factors are recorded, it may become easier to identify common triggers and be prepared with an immediate response to changes.
The challenge: As systems are increasingly automated, future aeroponics setups may include options for periodic testing, and computers may be able to calculate and apply the necessary balancers even more quickly than human managers can.
- The issue: Because the nutrient solution can be challenging to balance, aeroponics systems often require experienced training and support before significant ventures are attempted.
The challenge: As aquaponics becomes more familiar, more automated, and more widely adopted, the development of simple plug-n-play systems will surely follow. This will be an important step in the ability to expand aeroponics practices around the world to areas that are subject to high levels of food scarcity or food insecurity.
- The issue: Initial setup costs, especially for HPA (high-pressure aquaponics) and Fogponics can be high. Often, the capital and setup costs are prohibitive to all but well-financed commercial growers, although increased quality and yields over time will recoup the costs over time.
- The challenge: As with all technology, costs will certainly go down as it matures, systems and designs are optimized, and competition increases. Financial support from government entities or NGOs would be helpful in establishing urban farms, fresh food banks, and other operations where the economic environment, climate, or availability of natural resources, such as water, make aeroponics difficult to adopt.
- The issue: Unlike some soil-grown crops, aeroponics systems require daily supervision and are particularly vulnerable to power outages or equipment failures. Backup power systems and a stock of spare parts are wise investments, as well as an alarm system to alert you if there is a failure. Aeroponic roots cannot go for12 hours without being sprayed, even if that means you have to do rounds with a spray bottle until the misting system comes back online.
- The challenge: As the technology matures, fail-safes and standard backup options will undoubtedly become common offerings. Back up batteries kept on a trickle charge with relatively small solar panels could be designed to provide enough power to keep misters operating for 3 days (or more), for example. Internet-connected alarm systems could be configured to notify an individual or a team of people qualified to respond to an emergency without waiting for someone to show up to work.
