Talk:Aeroponics
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[edit] Other products
This article does not mention consumer systems like the AeroGrow's AeroGarden. Such units are inexpensive (~$180 US); how do they compare with the types of systems mentioned in the article? Also, what about hobbyists and do-it-yourself designs?
69.181.149.54 22:31, 28 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Factual Error
I think that the part about Oxygen needs to be reworded. All green plants do not use Oxygen to perform photosynthesis, they use Carbon Dioxide. The point of Aeroponics is to introduce air, not necessarily Oxygen.
A section has been added to cover the topic of the benefits CO2 in air. An air culture apparatus offers the ability for plants to have full access to all the available C02 in the air for photosynthesis.
--Agrihouse 03:52, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
Plants, and especially their roots, require oxygen to grow. The section under question doesn't mention photosynthesis (or CO2), nor does it belong in this article. Putting that in this article is entirely out of place and IMHO it should be removed. I'd rename the section "Benefits of Air (oxygen)", to the simpler "Benefits of Air", and explain more clearly that it is the roots which need oxygen to grow. This is a direct benefit of aeroponics. --Dirus 17:46, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Neutrality
I think that this article could be improved through a more neutral presentation of the material. It seems to be baised towards Aeroponics. --134.159.131.34 04:29, 1 February 2007 (UTC)
I agree. The history page seems to show that most information came from Agrihouse, whose user page has links to www.agrihouse.com. This company appears to have a vested interest in aeroponics and this article feels a bit biased because of it. --BostonSportsXTC 06:58, 6 February 2007 (UTC)
Aeroponics from a historical perspective is still in it's infancy. People confuse it with hydroponics. The authors at AgriHouse have attempted to compile a complete unbiased and neutral history of aeroponics and the facts as it relates to the birth of the technology and its present day research at NASA. AgriHouse has contributed extensively to the open source of the article on aeroponics by making photos, facts, NASA research and references open to the public domain. There are still a lot of unknowns in the plant kingdom and creating artificial life support systems and sustainable environments for them. We welcome others to add to the list of references regarding aeroponically grown plants, plant physiology, sustainable environments, and historical facts on the subject of aeroponics. --Agrihouse 04:10, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
NASA references, sources and related articles reference links have been included to substantiate the neutrality of the information in the aeroponic article and it's content. --Agrihouse 18:57, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
Removed non-NASA links from the NASA Aeroponic Links section for better neutrality. --Agrihouse 16:37, 11 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Expansion
I think this article really needs to be expanded upon. The idea of growing large harvests in multistory buildings using aeroponics sounds like an exciting proposal to create self sustaining city blocks in a future of ultra-dense city. populations. Imaging an entire city block with a 100 storey building devoted to crop growth using aeroponics.
Assuming one acre of physical space and by stacking aeroponic installations every 4 feet one could expect an effective 200 acres of crops to be grown in the building. Of course the reality of market economics would dictate that probably only the basements of buildings would be used for aeroponic facilities because of their non existant commerical or residential value, however it is still in interesting prospect for self sustaining cities.
yes
Totally what I was thinking. Here's to a crunchier, greener future.
oh- but I think that people should manage the crops and harvesting, not machines/robots.
- You can collect CO2-rich exhaust and mix it with household gray water to grow food crops. If the crops become unedible, you use it to feed animals. -- Toytoy 06:39, 21 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Aeroponics - new material discussion
I agree the subject of Aeroponics needs to be edited. Some of the statements made are not correct a lead the reader to think aeroponics is like hydroponics. They are vastly different.
Suggested additions of new material:
Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air/mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate media.
Aeroponic is derived from Latin meaning 'aero' (air) and 'ponic' (culture). Thus aeroponic growth refers to growth achieved in an air culture. “Aeroponics” refers the methods and apparatus used to cultivate, grow and sustain plant and crop growth in an air culture. To grow aeroponically refers to the processes necessary needed to achieve a sustainable aeroponic growth.
Aeroponic systems are normally closed-looped systems providing macro and micro-environments suitable to sustain a reliable constant air culture.
Brief History of Aeroponics
In 1944, L.J Klotz first discovered vapor misted plants facilitated research in his studies of diseases of citrus and avocado roots. In 1952, G.F Trowel grew apple trees in a spray culture. It was F. W. Went in 1957 first termed the air-growing process “aeroponics” while growing coffee plants and tomatoes suspending the roots in air and applying a nutrient mist to the root section.
Soon after its development, aeroponics took hold as a valuable research tool. Aeroponics offered researchers a noninvasive way to examine roots under development. This new technology also allowed researchers a larger number and a wider range of experimental parameters to use in their work.
Aeroponics is the ideal tool for the study of root morphology. The absence of aggregates offers researchers easy access to the entire, intact root structure without the damage that can be caused by removal of roots from soils or aggregates. It’s been noted that aeroponics produces more normal root systems than hydroponics.
Aeroponic growing is the process of growing plants in air. In the aeroponic system the plant is suspended into an enclosed air environment where the lower portion stem and roots protrude into the aeroponic chamber. The stem and root system is sprayed/misted for short durations with a hydro-atomized spray for a short duration.
In a true hydroponic apparatus the plant root system is totally submerged in water. Oxygen must be added to the water solution in a hydroponic system to prevent the root system from becoming waterlogged. Without oxygen a waterlogged plant cannot survive. Thus adding oxygen to water on an ongoing basis is necessary, one kg of water holds 8 mg of oxygen (max). Oxygen is vital sustained growth in a hydroponic system.
In a true aeroponic apparatus the plant is suspend in totally in air. The plant will have access to 100% of the available oxygen in the air. The increase level of oxygen surrounding the stem and root system accelerates root growth. The intermittent spraying/misting of the water-nutrient solution provides the necessary moisture and mineral uptake to sustain the developing plant. Plants and crops grown in a true aeroponic environment can spend 99.9% of the time in air.
Numerous inventions have been developed to facilitate aeroponic spraying and misting. The key to root development in an aeroponic environment is the size of the water droplet. In commercial applications a hydro-atomizing spray is employed to cover large areas of roots utilizing air pressure misting.
Water droplet size is crucial. To large of water droplet the less oxygen is available to the root system. Too fine of a water droplet such as those generated by the ultra-sonic mister produce excessive root hair without developing a lateral root system for sustained growth in an aeroponic system. Mineralization of the ultra-sonic traducers requires maintenance and potential for component failure. This also a shortcoming of metal spray jets and misters.
To date, NASA funded research has determined hydro-atomized mist of 5- 50 microns is necessary for long term aeroponic growing. For long term growing the mist system must have enough pressure to force the mist into a dense root system(s). Repeatability is key to aeroponics and this includes the hydro-atomized droplet. Degradation of the spray due to mineralization of the mist head inhibits the delivery of the water nutrient solution. This leads to imbalance in the air culture environment. Special low-mass polymer materials are used to eliminate mineralization in next generation hydro-atomizing misting and spray jets.
Hybrid aeroponics include nutrient film technology (NFT) floods the root system with a nutrient solution and then allows the root to be exposed to air. Dry sections of the root system prevent adequate nutrient uptake. Another types of hybrid aeroponic system is the combination of air culture and hydroponics.
Sources:
Florist Review Vol. 173 No. 4477 – September 22, 1983. Aeroponics Versus Bed and Hydroponic Propagation, by R. Stoner
J.M. Clawson, A. Hoehn, L.S. Stodieck and P. Todd, R.J. Stoner II, Re-examining Aeroponics for Spaceflight Plant Growth, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc Oct 2000.
--Agrihouse 21:06, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.180.248.241 (talk) 18:51, 15 January 2007 (UTC).
[edit] Merge
I believe that Aeroponic and Aeroponics cover the same topic and should be merged. Uiew 21:00, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
I agree. --Agrihouse 22:37, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
