Aeroponics technology-An alternative to hydroponic production system

Man's constant endeavor to ensure adequate food to every denizen in this planet jas seen tremendous progress over the last few decades and agricultural and biotechnologists have revolutionized the food production landscape beyond recognition. Their innovative spirit and efforts have provided a variety of growing technologies for all edible crops consumed by human beings. Probably constraints on availability of land to expand cultivation through conventional or traditional methods have resulted in evolution of technologies like hydroponics, aquaculture, tissue culture, genetic engineering, etc which are becoming main stream practices in some countries. One of most amazing technologies that is going to revolutionize agriculture is aeroponics which does not need neither land nor large quantities of water. Though it is at an early stage of commercialization, aeroponics may be the most attractive option available for food producers around the world. Recent reports that world's largest commercial aeroponics production facility is about to be commissioned in the US are indeed exciting. Read further details below.  

"An upcoming indoor vertical farm is not only claimed to be the world's largest, but to use cutting edge growing technology. AeroFarms' new 69,000 sq ft (6,410 sq m) facility in Newark, New Jersey, will be based in a converted steel factory and will incorporate a new corporate HQ for the firm. It's expected to grow high-quality and healthy produce all year round. As with the soon-to-start-trading Growing Underground, which is based in formerly disused tunnels beneath London, AeroFarms' new indoor farm will look to serve local markets. This will minimize the farm-to-fork journey and benefit both the environment and the produce itself in the process. Where Growing Underground uses hydroponic technology for crop rearing, AeroFarms uses an "aeroponics" approach. Similar to hydroponics, aeroponics employs a cloth medium for seeding, germinating and growing crops and LED lighting for photosynthesis. Specific wavelengths of light are targeted to help to maximize photosynthesis efficiency and to minimize energy consumption. The major difference between the two growing systems is that hydroponics uses a liquid solution to deliver hydration and nutrients to crop roots and aeroponics uses mist. AeroFarms says this produces faster growing cycles and more biomass than other approaches. The new facility is a public-private partnership and has been variously funded by the City of Newark, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), Goldman Sachs, United Fund Advisors, Dudley Ventures and Prudential Financial. Designed by KSS Architects, it offers a controlled, safe and sanitary environment in which to grow crops without the need for sun or soil. In addition to faster crop cycles and the ability to grow crops all year round, the benefits of this sort of farming are said to include the elimination of pesticides, increased produce shelf-life, a reduced contamination risk through the lack soil used, the production of clean and dry produce at the point of harvest and minimized wastage through the use of a closed-loop irrigation system (one that repeatedly recycles any run-off water). In addition, the modular vertical stacks used for growing the crops make the operation highly scalable. AeroFarms says its approach to farming is 75 times more productive per square foot annually than a traditional field farm and uses over 95 percent less water. Once up-and-running, it estimates that the new facility will have the capacity to grow up to 2 million pounds (910,000 kg) of baby leafy greens and herbs every year."

It is not that aeroponics is a brand new technique invented recently but its technologization took several years with its viability not established beyond doubt. Now that commercial facilities are being set up based on aeroponics, the economic viability may not be a hindrance for its fast spread in the coming years. Though it is limited at present to production of greens and high value herbs, time is not far away when aeroponics become a major contributor to many of the food crops we consume to day. High efficiency of aeroponics compared to the conventional cultivation and hydroponics is going to be the driving force for its manifold expansion. With high pressure on land from the non-agricultural sector, aeroponics presents itself as a panacea in future as far as food production is concerned. There must be global cooperation in making this technology affordable to growers in developing countries with limited capital availability..

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

Here comes multi-deck floating farming-Will this concept become practical in the near future?

Uncontrolled population growth and dwindling food resources are subjects which are attracting world wide attention as many skeptics are forecasting a gloomy future for this planet. Interestingly there are two sides to this problem. A few optimists argue that technology will not leave us in the lurch and innovations and technological break through happening in different parts of the world will take care of increasing needs of foods to satisfy the growing population. However others feel that we are running out of options with mass starvation and increasing poverty staring at us in the decades to come since the fossil fuels are running out and land mass for agriculture is limited. From time to time we have seen how the energy crunch is being managed through green energy sources with sustainable credentials. Be it bio fuel, solar energy, wind energy, wave energy nuclear energy or geothermal energy, it is a question of time before we overcome the fossil fuel shock. Same is true with agriculture also. There are host of innovations like aqua culture, hydroponics, aqua ponics, genetic technology, vertical farming, green house farming etc which are beckoning us to be exploited for the betterment of the homo sapiens. Here is another conceptual technology which holds some promise for future, especially for those countries with vast coastal area and plenty of water bodies to be used for creating the so called multi-deck floating farms with vertical integration and self sustenance which provides interesting reading

"With the world's population expected to hit 9.1 billion by 2050, coupled with the growing effects of climate change on our ability to grow crops, a company out of Barcelona has proposed a solution to feeding the future world. Forward Thinking Architecture's triple-decker Smart Floating Farms would feature 2.2 million square feet (2.04 sq km) of fish farm, hydroponic garden, and rooftop solar panels to power a floating barge, which could be anchored to the beds of oceans, lakes or rivers. The company estimates that each of its floating farms could produce about 8 tons (7.3 tonnes) of vegetables and 1.7 tons (1.5 tonnes) of fish per year. The floating farms are intended to provide a solution that can keep up with food production levels that will have to increase by 70 percent globally, and 100 percent in developing nations, to feed more than 9 billion mouths. With so many people, arable land would be stretched to its growing capacity (we're currently using 80 percent), while fresh water supplies would be severely stressed. Oceans are also being overfished at present. The company's idea to move farms onto the surface of water would address all those issues. Each level of the triple-decker farm would have its own function, and would operate as part of a sustainable loop that feeds into the other decks. Skylights and solar panels on the top deck would convert sunlight into energy to power the farm. The middle level would consist of tiers of hydroponic organic crops that would maximize the limited space on the barge. Waste water from the crops would filter down to the fish farm level at the bottom as a food source. Meanwhile, the nitrogen-rich fish poop would be recycled back to fertilize the crops. Unlike livestock animal manure, fish manure is a fast-acting fertilizer that doesn't take months to break down, and would provide the plants a quick nutrient boost, including the macronutrients phosphorous and potassium. Fish farming combined with hydroponics – a combo known as aquaponics – is a proven system that is growing in popularity, so this part of the concept is perfectly reasonable. Also added to the barge would be a possible desalination plant (if floating on sea water), a fish-processing house, and a packaging facility. Wind turbines and wave turbines could also be added, to provide extra energy. The entire barge would be protected from the seas and bad weather with inflatable wave protectors. Thus the farm would be self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor. Javier Ponce, the CEO of Forward Thinking Architecture, envisions locating the floating farms, which would be scalable, near densely-populated cities which will see the greatest growth in the future. Of the 35 megacities with more than 10 million people, 25 are located near water, such as Shanghai, Jakarta, Lagos, Tokyo and New York. Ponce believes the floating farms could complement existing traditional agriculture systems, helping reduce food risks associated with climate change issues in especially vulnerable parts of the world."

With the engineering expertise we have, creating such gigantic floating farms is not beyond the realm of feasibility. It is tempting to accept the claims of the innovators that such farms can produce literally any food is adequate quantities with quality and safety much superior to their counterparts on the land. Imagine the zero pollution tag such farms are boasting off and what wonders it can do to conserve nature. The solar power pack ensures adequate energy supply for all the operations including desalination if they are located out in the seas and oceans. If the heads of governments take this as a challenge, there must be a consolidated effort to set up such farms on a gigantic scale on an international cooperative foundation. Will rich nations like the US, Russia, Germany etc will support and finance such ventures? They better do it for the sake of peace and tranquility in this planet.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

Winter gardening-A new approach in Finland

Urban gardening has been and still a hot topic in many western countries where farmer population is showing a declining trend. Even in a country like China there are suburban gardens created on a cooperative principles where urbanites can invest on a small plot, few kilometers from the city and such cooperatives are offering its urban members an opportunity to visit during the week ends to do some gardening operations themselves to feel the thrill of being a "part time farmer"! Added to this the members have the luxury to have freshly harvested produce raised without using any chemicals. While such options can be understandable what will an urbanite in a country like Finland do when most of the time the weather is hostile being too cold to raise any crops. Here comes a new initiative from an entrepreneurial pioneer for growing a few crops with no soil needed at all. This is a welcome news worth pursuing for people in tropical countries who are novices in cold climate gardening. Here is a source from which further information can be gleaned. 

"Harsh, cold winters and scarce arable land make growing crops a challenge in Finland. A team of entrepreneurs hailing from the icy nordic nation believe this gives them a certain authority when it comes to growing crops indoors. Launched on Indiegogo yesterday, the team's Plantui Plantation hydroponic smart garden is aimed at giving urban green thumbs the capability to raise almost any kind of plant indoors, up two meters (6.6 ft) in height. Smart gardens and automated growing are not a new concept. Back in May we reviewed the Click and Grow Smart Herb Garden, while other efforts include the MEG Greenhouse and the Edyn monitoring system for the outdoors. Even Plantui itself is not new to the blossoming world of in-house agriculture, with its Smart Garden, the Plantation's predecessor, hitting the market in parts of Europe last year. The original Plantui Smart Gardens are soil-free capsules that use intelligent lighting and watering systems to raise plants through the germination, seedling and harvesting stages. Depending on the progress of the plant, 18 LED lights adjust in intensity and the irrigation feeds various amounts of water to the roots. The company says these methods replicate those used in professional Finnish greenhouses. The latest iteration, the Plantui Plantation, takes this concept and scales it up to accommodate a wider range of plants. The new version measures 45 cm (17.7 in) in diameter with an adjustable height of 28 to 200 cm (11 to 78 in), and can host crops including tomatoes, chillies, peppers and cucumbers. Also improved is the level of control over the maturation of the plants. While the device can automatically adjust water and light according to the plant's growth, it allows the user to manipulate these settings to shape the final product. The company points to the ability of different parts of the light spectrum to affect the taste and height of the harvested plants. Favoring a red spectrum over blue, for example, might induce mild, intense or peppery flavors, while red will give rise to taller plants. The Plantui Plantation is powered by a wall outlet and is said to use around 120 kWh of energy per year. Twelve plants can be grown in each of the capsules, with the estimated time to harvest ranging from 35 days for a crop of bok choy to 150 days for four chilli plants. Early pledges of US$250 will see a Plantui Plantation shipped your way in March 2015, along with 16 types of seedlings including pok choy, thai basil, coriander and tomato. For this to eventuate, the team will need to reach its somewhat lofty fundraising goal of $500,000 and have the rest of its campaign go as planned."

Though limited in its scale of operation the new technology requiring limited space is based on hydroponics and green house facilities with temperature and light control provisions to raise different crops. Its convenience and ease of operation can be gauged from the fact that ready capsules are available with designs suiting different crops. All one has to do is order for these capsules along with the seeds depending on what is to be grown. Low requirement of energy, hardly 120 units of electricity from a wall outlet for the entire year is indeed remarkable. Imagine one's ability to raise a bok choy crop in 35 days and the ease with which the crop can be harvested as when needed in the kitchen! Such novel ways of crop raising must be introduced in India also where temperature drop is phenomenal between November and February each year across most of northern India..    

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

AQUACULTURE + HYDROPONICS= AQUAPONICS!

Hydroponics system of agriculture depends on controlled growing of plants providing inputs through water medium without using soil under modified atmosphere conditions. One of the advantages of hydroponics is that for each crop right growing conditions can be provided through different inputs and atmospheric environment. Variations of this system include Aeroponics and Bubbleponics and now comes theAquaponics. Fruits like water melon, cantaloupe, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, grapes can be grown under hydroponics while many vegetables are being produced using the same system which include beets, carrots, celery, tomato, broccoli, peas, beans etc. Flowering plants also can be grown though it requires more attention and care in designing the system for different flowers requiring different nutrients. Aquaponics system integrates hydroponics and aquaculture for fish production, both of which compliment each other. While the fish waste of aquaculture is a good nutrient source for plants, the water cleaned up by the plant in the hydroponics reduces the water requirement for aquaculture. Realizing the importance and relevance of aquaponics some universities are even focused courses in this new emerging area for training students. Here is a take on this interesting new development.

Aquaponics differs from hydroponics in that hydroponics relies on the addition of nutrient salts to the water to grow plants, rather than relying on the nutrients naturally occurring in fish waste. "Aquaponics is the coupling of two biological systems,"DiLoreto explained. "The plants feed off the fish and the fish purify the water for the plants -- so at the end you have two products, fish and plants. It's a much more natural process." He noted that sustainable methods are used in aquaponicgreenhouses. "You can't use most pesticides because they're toxic to fish," he said. "One needs to focus primarily on biological pest management." DiLoreto added that he believes aquaponic systems go hand-in-hand with increased interest in greener, sustainable agricultural practices and organic and locally-grown foods. Current plans for the Penn State aquaponics system include using two 300-gallon tanks to grow tilapia, and a large hydroponics area where basil, lettuce, mustard greens and micro-greens will be grown.

One is reminded of integrated agriculture being practiced in some parts of the world where crops like paddy are grown in conjunction with fish ponds for mutual benefits though there is limitations here in using fertilizers and chemical protectants. Probably fisheries can survive and prosper in paddy cultivation which requires enormous water for optimal growth. Aquaponics, as is being practiced to day, can be a boon to urban gardening and limitation of land will not be a constraint for popularizing agricultural practices. Besides in the nutrition parlor fish and vegetables are mutually reinforcing foods, bringing about radical improvements in the diets of urban dwellers. Local food sentiments can only boost the potential of aquaponics in coming years as a viable alternative to commercially grown foods ferried from across the globe at great cost to the environment.    


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

CARROTS IN SPACE-FRESH FOOD FOR ASTRONAUTS

Keeping the astronauts healthy is a pre-requisite for the success of any space mission and vast investments have been made in the past to develop highly convenient foods that can be consumed with minimum preparation protocol under zero gravity condition. While earlier missions were of a few days duration, the advent of the permanent International Space Station, manned together by the US and the Russia, called for months of stay in the outer space by a group of astronauts. In a new approach to the issue, attempts are being made to grow fresh foods using new technologies that can be adopted for the purpose.

"Among all foods, carrots have the highest carotenoid content. They also contain a natural pigment known for provitamin A and have been associated with protection against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts and macular degeneration as well as enhancing the immune response. Astronauts can be exposed to elevated levels of radiation, which might put them at risk for some types of cancer. Researchers believe that the addition of unprocessed carrots to their diets may help reduce the negative effects of radiation and cancer development. The hydroponically grown carrots were issued nutrients in two different methods. One method is the nutrient film technique (NFT), in which the roots were exposed to a nutrient solution within a plastic film trough. The second method is the microporous tube membrane system (MTMS), in which nutrient tubes were embedded into Turface—a material similar to crushed clay— where the carrots were planted".

Space exploration efforts during the last 43 years have thrown up a number of spin offs for the civilian population in almost all areas of human endeavor. Probably the space technology for carrot production may eventually become a 'terra firma' phenomenon soon and it is a question of time before fresh produce obtained by this space age technology become common in the market place. Vertical farms may become viable if land availability and cost become critical in the coming years.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com