Getting to the roots of aeroponic indoor farming

Eldridge, Bethany M.; Manzoni, Lillian R.; Graham, Calum A.; Rodgers, B.; Farmer, Jack R.; Dodd, Antony N.

doi:10.1111/nph.16780

Cited by 71 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…This form of cultivation leads to several problems such as very low water use efficiency, increasing expenditures on human labor for weed management, irrigation, and flower harvest, lower ability to use mechanization, and most importantly, lower yield per area of cultivation. It seems that shifting from traditional cultivation to closed plant production systems, commonly known as vertical farming, which benefits from mechanization during production processes, would pave the way to improve the profitability of saffron cultivation [3][4][5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue Light Improves Photosynthetic Performance and Biomass Partitioning toward Harvestable Organs in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Moradi

Kafi

Aliniaeifard

et al. 2021

Cells

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Saffron is a valuable plant and one of the most expensive spices worldwide. Nowadays, there is a tendency to produce this crop in indoor plant production systems. However, the production of saffron is restricted by the need for the reproduction of high-quality corms. In this study, we investigated the effect of different ratios of red (R) and blue (B) light spectra (including 100% B (monochromatic B), 75%, 50%, 40%, 25% B, and 0% B (monochromatic R) on the photosynthetic performance and biomass partitioning as well as morphological and biochemical characteristics of saffron. The growth of flower, root, and corm was improved by increasing the proportion of B to R light. B-grown plants were characterized by the highest photosynthetic functionality with efficient electron transport and lower energy dissipation when compared to R-grown plants. B light directed biomass toward the corms and floral organs, while R light directed it toward the leaves. In saffron, the weight of a daughter corm is of great importance since it determines the yield of the next year. As the ratio of B to R light increased, the daughter corms also became heavier, at the cost of reducing their number, though increasing the proportion of B-enhanced antioxidant capacity as well as the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase while superoxide dismutase activity was enhanced in R-grown plants. In conclusion, B light increased the production of high-quality daughter corms and altered biomass partitioning towards harvestable organs (corms and flowers) in saffron plants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue Light Improves Photosynthetic Performance and Biomass Partitioning toward Harvestable Organs in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Moradi

Kafi

Aliniaeifard

et al. 2021

Cells

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“…In hydroponic systems, the plant roots are immersed partially or completely in a nutrient solution. On the other hand, aeroponic system exposes the plant roots to aerosol droplets containing micro-/macro-nutrient ( Eldridge et al, 2020 ). In aeroponic systems, droplet size is one of the major parameters for determining the absorption effectiveness directly influencing plant growth and it can be classified into spray (over 100 μm), fog (1–100 μm), and mist (1–35 μm) ( Niam and Sucahyo, 2020 ).…”

Section: Nanoparticle Technology: a Sustainable Approach For Micronutrient/mineral Enhancementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) and Micronutrient Fortification in Food Crops Using Nanoparticle Technology

Cave

2021

Front. Plant Sci.

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It is necessary to develop a resilient food supply that will withstand unexpected future shocks and deliver the required amounts of nutrients to consumers. By increasing the sustainability of food and agriculture, the food system will be able to handle challenges such as climate change, declining agricultural resources, growing population/urbanization, pandemics, and recessions/shortages. Micronutrient deficiency, otherwise called hidden hunger, is one of the major malnutrition consequences worldwide, particularly in middle- or low- income countries. Unlike essential mineral or nutrient compounds, micronutrients could be less of a priority due to their small levels of requirement. However, insufficient micronutrients caused critical adverse health symptoms and are excessively vital for young children’s development. Therefore, there have been numerous attempts to enhance minerals and nutrients in food crops, including biofortification, food fortification, and supplementation. Based on several interventions involving micronutrients, modern technology, such as nanotechnology, can be applied to enhance sustainability and to reduce the food system’s environmental impact. Previous studies have addressed various strategies or interventions to mitigate major micronutrient deficiency including iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A. Comparably small amounts of studies have addressed vitamin B12 deficiency and its fortification in food crops. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes serious adverse health effects, including in the nervous or blood systems, and occurs along with other micronutrient deficiencies, such as folate, iron, and zinc, worldwide, particularly in middle- and low-income countries. Mitigation for B12 deficiency has mainly focused on developing pharmacological and medical treatments such as vitamin B12 serum or supplements. Further studies are required to undertake a sustainable approach to fortify vitamin B12 in plant-based food sources for public health worldwide. This review paper highlights nanoparticle application as a promising technology for enhancing vitamin B12 without conventional genetic modification requirements. The nanoparticle can efficiently deliver the mineral/nutrient using coating techniques to targeted sites into the plant. This is mainly because nanoparticles have better solubility and permeability due to their nano size with high surface exposure. Vitamin B12-coated nanoparticles would be absorbed, translocated, and accumulated by the plant and eventually enhance the bioavailability in food crops. Furthermore, by reducing adverse environmental effects, such as leaching issues that mainly occur with conventional fertilizer usage, it would be possible to develop more sustainable food fortification.

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“…An important parameter that differentiates the yield and growth of plants grown in CSCS from that observed in other systems is the morphological and physiological properties of the roots that differ significantly depending on the medium in which they are grown [28]. Compared to other WCS, AER plants are reported to have greater root mass [29][30][31]. Differences observed between WCS and AG are generally significant, in contrast to those observed between different substrates [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the Hydroponic Cropping System on Growth, Yield, and Nutrition of a Greek Sweet Onion (Allium cepa L.) Landrace

et al. 2021

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Nerokremmydo of Zakynthos, a Greek landrace of sweet onion producing a large bulb, was experimentally cultivated in a glasshouse using aeroponic, floating, nutrient film technique, and aggregate systems, i.e., AER, FL, NFT, and AG, respectively. The aim of the experiment was to compare the effects of these soilless culture systems (SCSs) on plant characteristics, including fresh and dry weight, bulb geometry, water use efficiency, tissue macronutrient concentrations, and uptake concentrations (UC), i.e., uptake ratios between macronutrients and water, during the main growth, bulbing, and maturation stages, i.e., 31, 62, and 95 days after transplanting. The plants grown in FL and AG yielded 7.87 and 7.57 kg m−2, respectively, followed by those grown in AER (6.22 kg m−2), while those grown in NFT produced the lowest yield (5.20 kg m−2). The volume of nutrient solution (NS) consumed per plant averaged 16.87 L, with NFT plants recording the least consumption. The SCS affected growth rate of new roots and “root mat” density that led to corresponding nutrient uptake differences. In NFT, reduced nutrient uptake was accompanied by reduced water consumption. The SCS and growth stage strongly affected tissue N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S mineral concentrations and the respective UC. The UC of N and Κ followed a decreasing trend, while that of Mg decreased only until bulbing, and the UC of the remainder of the macronutrients increased slightly during the cropping period. The UC can be used as a sound basis to establish NS recommendations for cultivation of this sweet onion variety in closed SCSs.

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Getting to the roots of aeroponic indoor farming

Cited by 71 publications

References 95 publications

Blue Light Improves Photosynthetic Performance and Biomass Partitioning toward Harvestable Organs in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Blue Light Improves Photosynthetic Performance and Biomass Partitioning toward Harvestable Organs in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) and Micronutrient Fortification in Food Crops Using Nanoparticle Technology

Impact of the Hydroponic Cropping System on Growth, Yield, and Nutrition of a Greek Sweet Onion (Allium cepa L.) Landrace

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