Aeroponics systems are agricultural-supporting systems that rely primarily on oxygen and moisture in the air (in controlled environments) to grow plants, without soil. Aeroponics systems , alternately known as air-dynaponics, should be differentiated from hydroponics (growing vegetation with water that’s concentrated with mineral nutrients) and various invitro-growing systems (deals with culturing plant tissues). It should be noted, though, that a hydroponic-like system is sometimes used as a failsafe system, should Aeroponics fail to wholly sustain cultivation.

Aeroponics literally means air plus labor. Aeroponics systems use the method of hanging, or suspending, plants in closed or partially-closed environments and supplementing them via their built-in support structure, the dangling roots. Mineral-nutrient rich water is sprayed on the roots to sustain the plants. Vegetable or fruit-bearing plants are typically grown on a trellis to support the added weight, especially in larger scale gardens.

Advantages of Aeroponics Systems

In most situations, the pros far outweigh the cons when individuals use this type of plant cultivation process.

Pros

• Using a closed, soil-less environment greatly reduces (or eliminates with totally closed systems) threats to plants such as diseases and pests.

• Aeroponics techniques help the environment by conserving water, reducing the amount of human labor involved, and are typically 100% safe.

• Due to the roots being suspended in midair, the plants receive more air. A careful arrangement of suspension systems have to be used, though, as the roots need to dangle freely and come in contact with nothing but air.

• Plants in such an oxygen-rich environment can be sustained through maturity with as little as micro-droplets of nutrient-enriched water.

• The additional oxygen that plants receive and the fact that individual plants are much less intrusive on each other further (physically) mitigates the growth of harmful pathogens.

• Since plants in this type of setup receive no sunlight, they utilize the carbon-dioxide-rich oxygen in the air to perform photosynthesis.

In addition to carbon-dioxide, it is usually recommended that an artificial light source, such as a low-energy system of lamps, be used to supplement photosynthesis.

Different Types of Aeroponics Systems

There are several variations of Aeroponic systems—the main ones being low-pressure, high-pressure, and larger-scale commercial ones.

Low-pressure systems are fairly easy to setup and maintain, but are generally the least effective. They employ nutrient-infused water reservoirs and small pumps/jets to deliver nutrients to the plant. The effort to maintain them, though, and the dangerous pathogens and debris that tends to collect in the reservoir tends to make this system prohibitive for all but very small-scale systems or demonstrations.

High-pressure Aeroponics use high-pressure pumps that spray a nutrient-rich solution onto the roots. This system is also structured to include air/water purification devices, special polymers, and nutrient sterilization methods; this is typically a much more sustainable method of growing plants either for a family or for commercial purposes.

Commercial systems use high-pressure pumps, but also use a more complex system of biological matrices. This usually consists of technologically pressurized pumps, anti-pathogen/disease systems, heating and cooling apparatuses, photon-flux lamps, and other automated and continuous processes and devices.