Aeroponics or air culture uses the application of nutrient dissolved mist over exposed plant roots which enable growth without soil. Aeroponics usually regarded as a type of hydroponics since water is used as a nutrient dissolution medium. The suspended plant roots are enclosed in a sealed chamber and the plant canopy is exposed to outside. For small plants sheath of cell foam is compressed and wrapped around the bottom stem and inserted in to the aeroponic setup. For large fruit bearing plants trellising is used. Trellising is fixation of wooden or metallic supporting frames with the plant body. The plant grows vigorously in an aeroponic system due to the sterile environment and abundant oxygen present in the chamber. The droplet size of a nutrient mist is a crucial element in aeroponics.

An oversized droplet may reduce the oxygen supply. An undersized droplet may stimulate root hair growth which prevents lateral root growth which influences the efficiency of an aeroponic system. Aeroponic systems are more water resource efficient than hydroponic system. Another remarkable advantage of the aeroponics is the minimal contact between the support structure and plant, due to which the unconstrained growth of the plant is possible. The aeroponics system are widely used for NASA space research programs.

 

The hydro-atomized mist also significantly contributes to the effective oxygenation of the roots. For example, NFT has a nutrient throughput of 1 litre /min compared to aeroponics throughput of 1.5ml/min. The reduced volume of nutrient throughput results in reduced amounts of nutrient required for plant development. Another benefit of the reduced throughput, of major significance for space-based use, is the reduction in water volume used. This reduction in water volume throughput corresponds with a reduced buffer volume. Both of which significantly lighten the weight needed to maintain plant growth. In addition, the volume of effluent from the plants is also reduced with aeroponics, reducing the amount of water that needs to be treated before reuse. The relatively low solution volumes used in aeroponics, coupled with the minimal amount of time that the roots are exposed to the hydro-atomized mist, minimizes root-to-root contact and spread of pathogens between plants