With the agricultural breakthrough that has come over the past century, planting has become easier than it was before. Two of the breakthroughs, the hydroponics and aeroponics have come a long way in developing the agriculture and food production that not only resulted to individual progress but also the economic growth. But what is the difference between aeroponics and hydroponics?
The difference between aeroponics and hydroponics is that hydroponics is the means of soilless planting where there is a little or no soil required at all. The nutrients are supplied through a nutrient solution or a nutrient film at which the formulation has been controlled to sufficiently meet the needs of the plants. Aeroponics meanwhile is similar to hydroponics, growing plants without the use of the soil. The difference between the two is that the latter uses nothing as medium while the former uses water.
However, many has become confused of the agricultural methods and the difference between aeroponics and hydroponics. Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics procedure. It is the water that serves as the nutrient carrier when then the nutrient solution is sprayed into the roots of the plant.
Another difference between aeroponics and hydroponics is that the environment set-up. While in hydroponics, the plants are cultured into an enclosed area like the greenhouse, the plants grwons through aeroponics is in a closed or semi-closed area. The environment is not that restricted which may become a source of potential problem. This is for the reason that the plants grown aeroponically are not kept free from plants hazards like pests and diseases.
One significant ddifference between aeroponics and hydroponicsis that plants can mature easily with air as there are abundant sources of the essentials in plants’ growth. These are oxygen, the nutrient solution and the water.
You might quetsion why there are some farmers that prefer aeroponics rather than hydroponics. This is for the reason that aeroponics can give consistent supply of oxgen that can yield to a much higher yield of production.
The procedure between hydroponics and aeroponics also differ in terms of set-up. The aeroponics procedure allows the plants root to be suspended in a hydro-atomized nutrient solution that will make some parts of the roots like the crown to be extending on the top. In comparison to hydroponics, the procedure varies depending on the technology used. These technologies ranges from static solution and continuous flow solution. Moreover, there are also some precautions made to avoid disease contamination in the irrigation system.
There are a number of difference between aeroponics and hydroponics. Despite of these, it cannot be denied how these technologies improved the food production and the lives of many.
