What are the benefits of aeroponics?
What are the benefits of aeroponics?
Hydroponic growing - you’ve probably heard of it. Hydroponic systems are the most common in vertical farms - you might have seen them in your local urban farm or in the increasingly popular grow-at-home kits you can buy. In this system, plant roots are immersed in a solution of water and nutrients, instead of using soil. However, there are other methods of soil-less growing; at LettUs Grow we use aeroponic systems.
So, what is aeroponics? What are the benefits of growing this way instead?
Room to breathe
In an aeroponic system, plant roots are suspended in air, rather than in soil or water. Plant roots are exposed to a nutrient-rich mist which provides the plants with all the water and nutrients they need to grow. Within an aeroponic chamber, plant roots have greater access to atmospheric levels of gases such as oxygen, which boosts plant health. Just as overwatering your house plant can drown it, plant roots can become water-logged and oxygen deprived when submerged - an aeroponic system ensures this won’t happen.
Healthy plants, with a good root stock, grow faster. This results in more crop cycles per year and therefore a greater yield being produced in your farm.
Tailored care
LettUs Grow’s aeroponic systems provide the ability to apply nutrient solutions with great precision. The quantity of mist produced can be easily fine tuned per grow bed, so that you can provide specific crops with a feed that will best suit their developmental needs. This control will enable you to consistently tune the quality of your crop and higher growth rates create a quicker turnover of your produce.
Free from pests
The position of roots means that plants are less susceptible to mould or other infections, largely due to seeds and growing media remaining dry within an aeroponic system. UV sterilisation and filtration is used during the recapture and reuse of water in the system, so this ensures that the chances of pests or disease outbreaks are kept to a minimum.
Root access
In an aeroponic system, plant roots are easy to see and access. This is useful for plant scientists and researchers who wish to observe plant roots without impacting plant growth or killing the plant by up-rooting it. This allows for more regular testing and observation.
Plants, people & planet
Aeroponic systems benefit you and your crops, but there are also environmental benefits such as dramatic reductions in water and fertiliser use. Water and fertiliser recapture and reuse also prevents fertiliser runoff into waterways, a type of water pollution which can damage ecosystems and kill aquatic life. There’s no need for any harmful chemicals or pesticides inside these systems, so it’s beneficial for other kinds of wildlife too.
Want to find out more about the benefits of aeroponics and how these systems could improve the operational efficiency of your vertical farm? Discover our products & services here.