| |
 |
Browse by Category |
 |
| | |
| |
 |
Browse by Brand |
 |
| | |
| |  | |  |
| |  |
|
 |
| | | Home»Aero-Hydroponics: A Brief History |
| |  |
|
 |
| | | | Aero-Hydroponics: A Brief History | | | | | |
| Aero-Hydroponics: A Brief History
This method was developed by Dr. Hillel Soffer, senior researcher at the Volcani Institute at Ein Gedi in Israel in the early 1980's. He developed the aero-hydroponic method to overcome the challenges at Ein Gedi presented by the hot, arid conditions. The discoveries that followed the development of aero-hydroponics offer great benefits to all hydroponic growers.
During a two-year period from 1986 to 1988, Dr. Soffer performed extensive research using the aero-hydroponic method at the University of California at Davis, where he had received his Ph.D. in the early 1970s. The specific area of research was in quantifying the effect of various levels of dissolved oxygen on root growth, especially in the propagation of plants from cuttings.
The method was patented internationally, though few licenses for the production of equipment have been granted. Without aggressive commercial support, the aero-hydroponic method has remained largely a research tool, known mostly to university researchers. In the meantime, the rockwool method was becoming available internationally following 12 years of exhaustive research and a strong marketing program with lots of investment in advertising, production and distribution, first in Europe and later in Japan.
For rockwool cultivation to work efficiently in most commercial operations it is preferred to a use a non-recirculating nutrient solution. Nutrient solution is sent on a one-way trip through the rockwool and is then discarded. The real cost advantage of rockwool cultivation over other hydroponic methods was that the nutrient did not have to be recaptured and recirculated, reducing the system complexity of reservoirs, plumbing, pumps and pH and conductivity controllers. The once-through nutrient system also reduces the problem of nutrient solutionsbecoming imbalanced due to erratic uptake of minerals by rapidly growing plants.
The discharge of enormous amounts of spent nutrient solution has become a major problem in Holland, contaminating surface and ground waters. Consequently, the Dutch government has prohibited the dumping of nutrients resulting in renewed interest in recirculating systems such as aero-hydroponics.
As leaders in both horticulture and commercial hydroponics, the Dutch have recognized the value of a method, which enables rapid and trouble-free cultivation and eliminates the problems of disposing of spent nutrients and exhausted media.
|
|
|
|
|
