Aeroponics: Growing plants with no soil, little water, and renewable energy!

Aeroponics, a technology used by NASA, is an efficient way of growing plants without the use of soil and very little water. The plants grow with their roots suspended in air and are misted with water mixed with nutrients regularly. Since the roots are open to the air they can be easily removed and transplanted without causing the plant any sort of trauma, which normally could set back plant growth. These systems can reduce water usage by 98%, and pesticide usage by 100%. These free floating roots can also take in more nutrients, possibly making the plants better for consumption than a traditionally grown plant.

Image of a simple aeroponic system.

This method was developed in the early 1920s when botanists were studying root structure, but it wouldn’t be for another 70 years before it got some real attention. In the 1990s, NASA decided to fund its very own aeroponics program involving the adzuki bean. Now aeroponic plants are grown successfully in space… and they’ll soon begin growing at the @EcoSwell house!

EcoSwell intern Orianna Kane with the aeroponics project!

Orianna Kane, a student at Northeastern University has taken up the continuation of @EcoSwell’s aeroponics project, first developed by Nico Luna. The system uses a single board microcontroller called an Arduino to control the pump that is used to spay the roots of the plants. A solar panel is hooked up to the circuit to recharge batteries that drive the whole operation. Orianna has just finished constructing the housing for the system made from plastic buckets and tupperware. She has planted cilantro, parsley, and basil seeds. Aeroponic systems don’t require any soil, but to help the seeds sprout, a thin layer of composite was added to the mesh holding the seeds. Once the seeds begin to grow, the roots will break through the mesh and any leftover compost will fall into the reservoir and the water will be changed. The reservoir is wrapped in black trash bags to prevent sunlight from getting in. This will reduce the likelihood of algae forming and clogging the pump.

Top view of the aeroponics container and solar panel.

The plants are covered by a large clear bucket with a viewing window sealed with plastic for the majority of the day. This keeps the environment warm and moist for the plants.

In Lobitos, these types of systems may be useful to many of the locals who wish to have a stress-free , low-cost garden. The whole setup is relatively cheap and sprays the roots automatically every 13 minutes. Orianna hopes to see the plants thriving in the next couple of weeks and is looking forward to making improvements on this project, preparing it for the next phase! We’d like to eventually scale up this technology in order to enable people to grow crops in this manner.

@EcoSwell is a for-impact, sustainable development organization based in Lobitos, Peru. Since 2014, we have been working everyday to help coastal communities thrive in unison with nature. All the revenue generated from our SteemIt posts go directly back into our projects. If you would like to learn more, please visit our Facebook, website, and follow us on SteemIt!