Aeroponics growing system: features of the method and how to make equipment with your own hands. What is hydroponics and aeroponics? Innovative technologies for growing plants Aeroponics do-it-yourself equipment

Aeroponics is modern method cultivation different cultures in air without soil. This method is well suited for home conditions and for small household plots, as it saves space and time, while ensuring a high yield. The essence of the method is to irrigate the roots with a nutrient solution and saturate them with atmospheric oxygen, since the growth and productivity of the entire plant depends on the amount of oxygen available to the roots. At the same time, the roots hang freely in special containers, so their growth is not inhibited by anything, and the access of oxygen is not blocked by the soil.

Aeroponics techniques

1. Plant shoots are placed on special racks, and the roots are placed in sealed containers. Inside these containers, a nutrient solution is sprayed at regular intervals. In them, between periods of spraying, an air environment rich in oxygen is created. This process is fully automated and does not require additional intervention;

2. The second method is more household, it is a compact installation that you can build yourself, with sensors and electronic controllers that automatically care for any crops.

Advantages of Aeroponics

This growing system allows:

Due to compactness, harvest several times the yield of open ground in a modest area or even at home;
To create an artificial climate corresponding to the cultivated crop;
Get several harvests a year;
Use vertical space, creating multi-tiered systems in a small area or in an apartment;
Growing an environmentally friendly crop;

Note.

Aeroponics eliminates the damage caused by diseases, weeds and pests, unlike growing plants in the soil. Therefore, it does not require the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Reduce water and fertilizer consumption;
Accelerate the growth and maturation of plants;
The equipment is easy to clean and update before new fit. To do this, it is enough to remove the old crops and flush the irrigation system. There is no dirt or dust.

Making aeroponics with your own hands

To create aeroponics, it is enough to have several plastic containers, nozzles or sprayers, hoses, sealant, pump with timer, nutrient solution tank. To build aeroponics, you need to follow several steps:

Install nozzles at the base of the container, the number of which depends on the number of plants grown;
Attach a hose to the bottom of the nozzle;
Seal the junction of the hose and nozzle with silicone;
Connect the nutrient solution tank to a pump with a timer, which is necessary to automate the process of spraying the root system and control the frequency of spraying. Newly planted crops should be irrigated every five minutes, and older ones once every 18 minutes;
Connect the hose coming from the nozzle to the pump;
Make a slot in the lid of the container or use a piece of foam rubber instead of a lid;
Place crops to be planted, such as potatoes, in the slot in the lid or in the foam, so that root system hung freely;
Turn on the pump and set the spray time.
Instead of applying with a timer, you can use air compressor attached to the nutrient tank. A solenoid valve must be placed in front of the nozzles. Such aeroponics allows you to grow greens: parsley, dill, lettuce, etc.

Aeroponics is a convenient, cost-effective and low-cost way to grow plants in a small area, providing a rich harvest up to five times a year.

The development of technology has given us aeroponics - effective methodology growing plants indoors, as in industrial scale, and for personal use at home. Having made an aeroponics installation with your own hands, you can harvest rich crops literally from the air, do not depend on the vagaries of nature and indulge yourself with fresh herbs and vegetables all year round. However, it does not take up much space and does not require special attention of the owner.

Aeroponics is the most progressive method cultivation of crops. Free from dirt, dust, soil depletion problems and multiple pest control. Its basis is the systematic irrigation of the root system with a nutrient solution and its maximum saturation with oxygen.

Scientists have proved: the more air access to the roots, the better and faster the plants develop. In aeroponics, this condition is fully observed - the roots hang freely in the lower part of special containers, their growth and development are not constrained by anything.

According to the method of feeding the roots, all aeroponic systems can be divided into two types:

Equipment that sprays the roots at regular intervals;
Plants in which the root system is partially submerged in a nutrient solution.

In the first case, the "above-ground" part of the plants is on the shelves, the "underground" - in a sealed space, where a special air environment is created with the help of a systematic spraying of the nutrient solution. A cloud of fine particles envelops the roots, saturating them with the necessary substances; in between sprayings, the root system receives maximum amount air, so necessary for the growth, development and maturation of all crops. The process is fully automated and the equipment can operate without your intervention. In this way, you can successfully grow flowers, seedlings, medicinal plants, vegetables, greens.

The second option is used most often in compact domestic installations. They have electronic sensors and controllers, thanks to which the care of plants is carried out automatically. All you have to do is harvest and enjoy. excellent taste organic, healthy vegetables and salad greens.

nutrients dissolve in water and are fed into the root zone under pressure through nozzles or a spray for aeroponics;
plants grown in this way are environmentally friendly;
the roots are placed in an environment saturated with oxygen, this accelerates growth planting material and shortens the maturation period;
the artificial climate best meets the needs of plants, and they yield several times more than with traditional cultivation in soil or substrate;
thanks to accelerated vegetation on the same area, you can get several crops per year;
easy cleaning of the system and renewal of plantings: for the new season, it is enough to remove old plants and flush the irrigation system.

Aeroponics at home and in the country - an excellent harvest in winter and summer

Aeroponics equipment makes it possible to grow useful plants in a minimal area. Its main advantage is compactness and the ability to use vertical space, create multi-tiered compositions.

The range of aeroponic systems today is so wide that you can easily choose how small installation for the house, and a technological greenhouse for giving.

All systems are easy to use, reliable and automated. They consist of the bottom and top shelf, tank, pump, sprayers, neoprene collars for fixing plants.

When choosing an installation, you need to pay attention to such components as

root container: it should not be transparent - light is detrimental to the root system;
aeroponics nozzles: it is better if these are microjets capable of creating fog - than finer particles sprayed nutrient solution, the better they are absorbed by plants;
aeroponics sprayers: they should provide automatic irrigation of the root system with the right nutrients.

Aeroponics is the technology of the future, designed to provide us with healthy vegetables without pesticides and other "additives" of traditional farming. But its weakest point is automation. The slightest interruption in electricity can lead to drying out of the roots and death of plants. Another disadvantage ready systems- their high cost. But that doesn't stop the adherents healthy eating: aeroponics is more and more confidently included in the top of the most popular gifts.

Taking care of aeroponics plants is quite simple. It is necessary to regulate the diet depending on the time of year, the age of the plant, the growing season. Follow the lighting. If necessary, pinch the above-ground part of the plants, remove dried leaves, diseased branches and leaves.

In order to provide yourself with greens and vegetables at any time of the year, you can make an aeroponic installation yourself using improvised means. The number of "components" will depend on which method of feeding the roots you choose.

The simplest and cheap option – homemade installation for aeroponics, where the roots are partially placed in a nutrient solution. This is good way growing flowers, strawberries, seedlings of tomatoes and other plants.

Make this setting for everyone. You will need ordinary flower containers, clips for attaching plants, a cover for fixing seedlings.

This device is well suited for indoor plants. Let's take an ordinary flower pot and find a sealed cover for it. We will make a hole in it, lower the plant, fix the “aerial part” with a silicone or foam rubber clamp. Pour a nutrient solution into the pot, the volume depends on the length of the root. The rule is strict: the root system should be immersed in the solution by one third, no more. We connect the elements - we install the lid on the flower container. Care consists in timely "watering". To do this, lift the lid and add the solution.

To grow more plants, we need an ordinary flower box and an airtight lid for it. The technology is the same: we make holes in the lid corresponding to the diameter of the plants, we place the seedlings. Pour the nutrient solution into the box so that the roots are immersed in it by one third. “Close” the box with a lid with plants. We get the "aerial part", isolated from the "underground". The disadvantage of this design is that when leaving, you will need an assistant who will hold the lid with the flowers fixed in it while you add the solution.

This option is suitable for plants with a voluminous root system. Let's take two seedling boxes. The bottom should be slightly larger than the top. A nutrient solution will be poured into it, into which the roots of the flowers will sink.

We turn the top box over and make small holes in the bottom. Further on the familiar pattern. We place flowers in the holes, for a more stable position we fix them with clips. We get flat surface, on which plants flaunt, and the roots hang freely in the inside of the box. We estimate the volume of the root system, pour so much nutrient solution into the bottom box so that the roots are immersed in it by 1/3 part. We put the top box in the bottom - the installation is ready. It remains only to periodically raise the top drawer, add the solution and admire beautiful flowering favorite plants.

It will take a little more time, skill and money to make installations in which the roots will be periodically irrigated with a nutrient solution.

The main components of such aeroponics are: a container for a nutrient solution, planting boxes, plant fixing agents, hoses, nozzles, sprayers. The main component of such an aeroponic installation may be a pump, an air compressor or a household air humidifier.

Aeroponic system using a high pressure pump

For work, you will need a large volume tank, a pump, a sprayer and landing containers.

We fix the plant with soft clips at the top of the container. Leading to the bottom landing capacity a hose with a sprayer, the other end is connected to a pump that pumps the nutrient solution from an external tank. Set the pump interval to 20 minutes for mature plants and 10 minutes for seedlings. This is very important, because with the slightest lack of nutrient solution, the roots of the plants will dry out, and all the work will go to waste.

The diffuser plays a big role. Since it is from it and from the pressure that the pump creates that the size of the droplets of the nutrient solution depends. The smaller the particles, the better. Therefore, pumps should be selected high pressure, it is they who give an aerosol of fine mist, the most effective for growing plants.

Aeroponic installation using an air compressor

The principle of its action is as follows. The compressor supplies air to a sealed container with a nutrient solution. This creates a certain pressure. With its help, the liquid rises through the tube to the nozzle, in front of which a solenoid valve is installed. Under tension, the valve opens and the nozzle sprays the solution onto the roots. If we choose a nozzle with a nozzle of 0.4 mm, then we get the desired fine water dust, which nourishes the roots of plants as efficiently as possible.

It is possible to spray a solution of nutrients not only through nozzles, but also with the help of ultrasound. Any household fog generator (air humidifier) is suitable for this. With it, you can get a cloud of fine particles of the nutrient solution. But there are pitfalls here. Steam has a temperature of about 40 degrees, which is a lot for the root system of plants. Therefore, the steam must be cooled, which gives the installation additional volume.

Craftsmen offer a lot of ways to grow useful plants at home.

Aeroponics will quickly, reliably, economically help you get any amount of greens and vegetables you need. This is a great option if traditional cultivation methods do not meet expectations, or the climate of the region does not allow you to grow the plants you need in open field.

Properly organized drip irrigation in a greenhouse can significantly save time, effort and water without any damage to. Further

After several years of self-watering with a hose, every gardener comes up with the idea of connecting for this one. Further

The goal of every gardener is to get a large and high-quality crop. But juicy large fruits do not grow if not. Further

Irrigation is required for lawn, garden and garden care. And the better it is thought out and implemented, the better. Further

Watering is an important part of garden and garden care, but if you do not take into account the characteristics of each plant, then. Further

The question of lawn care should be puzzled even before it is planted. First of all, it is important to be honest with yourself. Further

Drip irrigation is considered the most effective way artificial irrigation of the soil. All water goes directly to the roots of plants, not. Further

Aeroponics is a high-tech method of substrateless cultivation of plants on specially selected nutrient solutions. With the development of technological progress, aeroponic systems are also being improved. Thanks to the emergence of microprocessor technology and microsprayers, the latest energy-saving sources of artificial light (balanced in spectrum), aeroponic technologies have found wide application in vegetable growing.

Schematic diagram of the aeroponic installation

Scientists of the All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology have developed and constructed a series of universal aero-hydroponic and aeroponic installations. These installations are used for adaptation of test-tube plants improved by the apical meristem method, for propagation and rooting, as well as subsequent growing various plants, including those of agricultural importance.
Cultivation in aeroponic installations allows a smooth transition from in vitro conditions to in vivo cultivation, bringing the plant survival rate to 100%.
The proposed method allows us to grow significantly large quantity plants than in the open field or in a greenhouse. The success of plant cultivation is achieved due to more accurate and faster regulation of the parameters of the root environment (pH of the nutrient solution, the content of macro- and microelements, humidity, temperature of the nutrient solution, aeration of the roots, electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution).
For example, easily controlled parameters of mineral nutrition make it possible to regulate the development different types. The lack of competition for food and light makes it possible to thicken plantings - by 1 sq.m. up to 600 test-tube plants are planted for adaptation and further growing. In addition, the lack of soil eliminates the sterilization of the substrate, the fight against related diseases and simplifies plant care.
The use of modern nutrient solutions can significantly increase the yield of crops and reduce the area under their sowing. Developments in the field of growing systems design make it possible to grow plants not only compactly, at the same level, but also fill the volume of used under this process premises. Thus, the working area is rationally used and the output is increased. finished products.
The nature of growth, development and even appearance plants under aeroponics conditions change significantly. So, for 6 months we cultivated donor plants of malting barley to obtain immature embryos. From each bush we received up to 120 ears. When cultivating potatoes for the same period, we received about 100 pcs. minitubers from each bush. Plants of tomatoes and cucumbers reach maximum dimensions for the respective variety.
The use of new sources of plant irradiation - light-emitting diodes with specified parameters, allows you to drastically reduce energy costs due to their high light output, the absence of an infrared component in the radiation spectrum, a long working life, and allows you to adjust the radiation spectrum.
Although substrateless cultivation technology has a rather high cost of equipment, it is likely that in the future many traditionally grown crops will be produced by this method. To date, the technology is cost-effective for growing certain types of vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, fast-growing leafy, green and root crops, as well as ornamental and medicinal plants.

And when carrying out research work, the aeroponic installation is simply irreplaceable!

Further improvements will make it possible to successfully apply the development even in space biotechnology.

Aeroponic technologies allow:

Eliminate seasonality in growing plants, do not depend on any environmental factors;

Get up to 6 or more harvests per year, depending on the crop;

Raise labor productivity, culture and the level of production;

Get plants enriched with essential trace elements (selenium, silicon, zinc, etc.);

Manage the accumulation of secondary metabolites (biologically active components) in the production of medicinal plants;

Exclude the use of substrates;

Reduce consumption mineral fertilizers– up to 40%;

Save water, which makes it possible to use this technology in arid (arid) areas;

Exclude the use of plant protection products;

Get environmentally friendly products.

The world's population is growing at a rapid pace, the need for food is increasing. At the same time, everything becomes less space for their cultivation, all less people want to cultivate the land and grow food, the population of villages decreases every year. What will be next? And then scientists and inventors take matters into their own hands. Already today they offer several alternatives traditional ways growing vegetables and herbs - hydroponics and aeroponics.

What is hydroponics?

Hydroponics allows you to grow plants in a smaller area with greater results. It is this technology that most of today's large greenhouse complexes and farmers use.

Instead of the usual earth, plant roots are immersed directly in a nutrient solution (water with nutrients dissolved in it). Hence the name - "hydro" means water. To hold the upper part of the plant above the nutrient medium, non-nutritious soil is used: vermiculite, straw, coconut coir, mats of synthetic fibers, foam. The main thing is that this soil is well ventilated. Growing plants, greens using this technology has a number of undeniable advantages:

Less water consumption compared to traditional methods. closed loop production can significantly save water. The main savings item is that water not used by plants is collected, purified and reused.
The crop ripens faster. For plants are created ideal conditions and they do not have to expend energy on recovery after different kind stress. So, they can focus on their development, growth and fruits.
The productive season is getting longer. This feature is typical for all greenhouses - the harvest can be obtained before the start of the most severe frosts, and when good heating and all year round.
You can easily change the diet of plants depending on their growth phase. For example, potassium is needed in the active growth phase, but phosphorus is needed in the fruiting phase. This allows you to control the composition of the final products, protecting them from the accumulation of chemicals, radionuclides, etc.
Vegetables and herbs are very clean. Greens in small pots, which we buy in stores, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers - clean, without traces of soil.
Space saving. Plants get enough nutrition from the nutrient solution, so they do not need to grow to vast expanses in depth and width. Therefore, they can be placed next to each other, the main thing is to provide full lighting.
No weeds.
The minimum probability for plants to become infected with fungi and bacteria from the soil, because it simply does not exist. At the same time, the closed adjustable space allows more productive use various methods pest and disease control.
Ample opportunities for automating the growing process. Most of the processes can be automated by creating a single multi-level network.

The most relevant use of hydroponics in large greenhouses. However, many hobbyists are happy to use hydroponics to grow plants at home, on suburban area. However, due to the high cost of hydroponic kits, nutrient soils and nutritional formula nutrients for small consumers, it is not economically feasible. Homemade hydroponic installations have become an outlet for many enthusiasts. Thankfully, it's not that hard to assemble them. The absence of dirt in the form of soil makes this method particularly attractive to many.

A hydroponic system can vary in the way it provides nutrient solution:

Wick system. The nutrient solution enters through a system of wicks or vessels. Often used for home hydroponics.
Deep water culture system. Plants are placed on a floating foam platform.
Periodic flooding system. At certain intervals, controlled by a timer, the nutrient solution is supplied to the roots.
Nutrient Layer Technique (NFT). It does not use non-nutritious soil, but holds the plant by means of a pot or other container with holes for the roots to come out.
System drip irrigation. It is this system that is used in large greenhouses, because. it allows you to automate the process. The nutrient solution is pumped to the roots of plants in small portions.

The photo at the end of the article schematically shows the main differences between these types of systems. Click on the photo to enlarge.

What is aero hydroponics.

A variety of hydroponics, the peculiarity of which is that the nutrient solution using a pump or more complex system enriched with air. And plants receive a nutrient solution with air, which is necessary for their normal life.

It is aero-hydroponics that has received the greatest distribution among amateurs and professional farmers.

What is aeroponics?

Aeroponics is a system that allows plant roots to obtain nutrients and water from a dry mist formed by fine sprinklers. The roots of the plants are placed in a closed container or system where they have free access to air and are regularly fed by sprinklers.

The main disadvantage of this system is that it is too active growth roots to the detriment of the upper part. Therefore, initially elite potato seeds were grown in the aeroponics system, valuable and endangered plant species were rooted. However, at the moment in Russia in the Kaluga region, since 2010, the greenhouse of AGRO-VITA LLC has been operating, in which greens and vegetables are grown using the aeroponics method - in vertical columns. Mainly salad.

It is the opportunity to grow vegetables and herbs in columns, i.e. using the vertical space of the greenhouse, and there is a major advantage of aeroponics! Some experts argue that the future is not far off, when large multi-level greenhouse complexes operating on the aeroponics system will be located right in the cities.

NASA is also showing particular interest in this system. Aeroponics will allow astronauts and lunar and planetary explorers to grow fresh greens on their ship using very limited amounts of water.

However, in Russia and the nearest post-Soviet countries, aeroponics has not yet become widespread. As with everything new, this innovation also takes time for people to get used to and understand.

What lies ahead for us?

Hydroponics and aero-hydroponics have already firmly established themselves in the greenhouse business, incl. and in Russia. But a huge area for hydroponics and aeroponics - ornamental gardening, has not yet been involved in our country. While abroad you can sometimes meet very beautiful solutions in decoration trading floors, cafes, rest houses, parks, etc.

The photos at the end of the article show options decorative use hydroponics and aeroponics.

Especially promising hydroponics, and aeroponics, could be in the Crimea. After all, water is a very limited resource. It is the lack of water that does not allow in the central regions of Crimea to receive high yields. But the warm climate, the absence of very low temperatures, would allow you to harvest from a number of crops in greenhouses all year round! Including the harvest of strawberries, which are in great demand on the mainland during the winter months.

A very serious obstacle to the development of this type of farming is the very high cost at the start. . Process automation equipment is very expensive. In the same time, last years there is a tendency to reduce the cost of ready-made sets of equipment for hydroponics and aeroponics. What is connected with the expanding supply, the development of technology and the increase in demand for it, which allows scaling production.

Video about the features, advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics and aeroponics:

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