Aeroponic Cultivation Research Articles

Managing the Nutraceutical and Sensorial Qualities of Pisanello, an Ancient Tomato Landrace, in Soilless Conditions

Recently, there has been significant consumer demand for traditional tomato varieties due to their favourable organoleptic qualities; however, the cultivation of these ancient varieties is becoming more restricted due to inadequate shelf life and low productivity. The “Pisanello” is a Tuscany tomato variety mainly cultivated in the provinces of Pisa, Lucca, and Livorno, and the main producers of this ancient tomato are small local farmers. The purpose of this work was, firstly, to study the range of quality parameters of this landrace tomato grown using different cultivation techniques, both in soil and soilless systems. For this purpose, the physicochemical parameters of Pisanello tomatoes grown in six different farms in Tuscany using both soilless and soil methods were investigated. Secondly, Pisanello tomatoes grown using different soilless techniques (rockwool and aeroponics) and soil-grown tomatoes (Pisanello and Goldmar F1) were evaluated from organoleptic and nutraceutical points of view. The sensory profile evaluation of all types of tomatoes under investigation was carried out. The aeroponic cultivation of Pisanello induced higher organoleptic qualities than those of tomatoes cultivated in rockwool (+34% for titratable acidity and +18% for total soluble solids). On the other hand, soilless rockwool-grown tomatoes showed a better sensory profile with respect to aeroponic cultivation. Nevertheless, the Goldmar F1 tomato, morphologically similar to ‘Pisanello’, received lower scores from the sensory panel compared to the Tuscany landrace tomato. This indicates that ancient tomato varieties selected over decades remain the preferred choice for consumers. Therefore, from a long-term viewpoint, the valorisation of local tomato varieties such as Pisanello can promote the regional commercialization of novel niche products originating from ancient fruit thanks to their acceptability by consumers.

Impact of aeroponic cultivation and plant growth regulators on the biochemical composition of grapevine leaves

Background: Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a globally important perennial fruit crop, renowned for its economic value and cultural significance. Grape leaves, while often underappreciated, play a vital role in culinary traditions and are valued for their cultural, nutritional, and health benefits. However, the availability of grape leaves is constrained by viticulture practices and chemical treatments that prioritize fruit production over leaf harvesting. This study seeks to compare the biochemical characteristics of grapevine leaves from the cultivar 'Deghin Yerevani' grown from virus-free, tissue-cultured plants under aeroponic and soil conditions within a greenhouse. Objective: To evaluate the impact of aeroponic versus soil-based cultivation and the application of specific growth regulators on the biochemical composition and nutrient content of 'Deghin Yerevani' grapevine leaves, with the goal of optimizing conditions for high-quality leaf production. Materials and Methods: This study, conducted from 2021 to 2023 at the Scientific Center of Agrobiotechnology, ANAU, utilized virus-free in vitro plants of Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'Deghin Yerevani', sourced from the National Grape Field Collection. Plants were cultured in four treatment groups with varying growth media compositions: PGR-free, with Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), with IAA and Gibberellic acid (GA₃), and with IAA, GA₃, and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP). Post-culturing, plants were transferred to either an aeroponic system, which used a misting cycle and maintained controlled environmental conditions, or to a greenhouse with a defined soil mix and monitored moisture levels. Both systems operated for 8 weeks, with each treatment replicated three times. Chlorophylls a and b, ascorbic acid, sugars, and macro- and micronutrient contents were analyzed, and statistical significance was determined using standard error and Student’s t-test (p < 0.05). Results: Grapevine leaves from 'Deghin Yerevani' plants grown in aeroponic systems exhibited significantly higher chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll compared to those grown in soil. Growth regulators, particularly IAA, GA3, and BAP, enhanced chlorophyll content, sugar levels, and Vitamin C across both cultivation methods. Aeroponic systems showed superior results with increased sugar content (5.7 g/100g) and Vitamin C (20.4 mg/100g) compared to soil-based cultivation. Nutrient analysis revealed higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in aeroponics. Overall, growth regulators and aeroponic cultivation improved the biochemical and nutrient profiles of grapevine leaves. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that aeroponic cultivation and the application of growth regulators significantly enhanced the biochemical composition of grapevine leaves. Higher levels of chlorophyll, sugar, and Vitamin C, along with improved nutrient content, were observed in aeroponic systems compared to soil-based cultivation. These findings underscore the benefits of aeroponics and growth regulators in optimizing grapevine leaf quality, suggesting potential for improved yield and nutritional value in grapevine production. Keywords: 'Deghin Yerevani', grapevine, in vitro propagation, functional foods, Aeroponic Cultivation, Plant Growth Regulators

Enhancement of Forskolin Production Using Aeroponic Cultivation of Coleus forskohlii and the Impact on the Plant Phytochemistry.

Accessing plant resources to extract compounds of interest can sometimes be challenging. To facilitate access and limit the environmental impact, innovative cultivation strategies can be developed. Forskolin is a molecule of high interest, mainly found in the roots of Coleus forskohlii. The aim of this study was to develop aeroponic cultivation methods to provide a local source of Coleus forskohlii and to study the impact of abiotic stress on forskolin and bioactive metabolite production. Three cultivation itineraries (LED lighting, biostimulant, and hydric stress) along with a control itinerary were established. The forskolin content in the plant roots was quantified using HPLC-ELSD, and the results showed that LED treatment proved to be the most promising, increasing root biomass and the total forskolin content recovered at the end of the cultivation period threefold (710.1 ± 21.3 mg vs. 229.9 ± 17.7 mg). Statistical analysis comparing the LED itinerary to the control itinerary identified stress-affected metabolites, showing that LEDs positively influence mainly the concentration of phenolic compounds in the roots and diterpenes in the aerial parts of Coleus forskohlii. Moreover, to better define the phytochemical composition of Coleus forskohlii cultivated in France using aeroponic cultivation, an untargeted metabolomic analysis was conducted using UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis and molecular networks on both the root and aerial parts. This study demonstrates that aeroponic cultivation, especially with the application of an LED treatment, could be a very promising alternative for a local source of Coleus forskohlii leading to easy access to the roots and aerial parts rich in forskolin and other bioactive compounds.

Advancing Agriculture: Exploring the Potential of Aeroponic Systems for Vegetable Cultivation: A Comprehensive Review

Aeroponic systems offer an efficient and sustainable approach to vegetable cutivation, highlighting advantages such as water and resource efficiency, year-round production and high quality crops. The review explores the principles of aeroponic cultivation, key factors like nutrient delivery, root oxygenation, and space optimization. It also examines the advantages and limitations of aeroponics compared to traditional soil-based methods. It also discusses recent advancements in technology and research and the future prospects for the continued development and adoption of aeroponic vegetable cultivation. Overall, this review underscores the potential of aeroponics to revolutionize vegetable farming practices to offer a promising solution for today’s agricultural farming problems viz., shrinking land, scarcity of water, declined productivity etc. and contribute to global food security in the coming years.

Research Progress on Fog Cultivation Technology for Potato Seed Production

The market demand for potato seed (minituber) is increasing with the progression and expansion of the potato industry, and the potato seed degeneration has become one of the important factors to restrict the yield and quality of potatoes in the actual development of potato industry. In recent years, the aeroponic cultivation of potato seed has the advantages of high yield and high efficiency as a newly developed virus-free production technology, which effectively solves the problems of soil-borne diseases and continuous cropping obstacles during the potato seed production, as well as opens up a new way for the scalization of potato seed production. In this thesis, the key points of potato seed aeroponic technology, the facility intelligentization development, the core nutrient solution and cultivation management and methods of automatic control of supply system were elaborated, the current problems and application prospects of this technology are summarized based on personal production experience, aimed to provide some foundations for the production as well as practical guidance of potato seed aeroponics cultivation.

Chemical Profile and Bioactivity of Rubus idaeus L. Fruits Grown in Conventional and Aeroponic Systems.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is a fruit of great interest due to its aroma, nutritional properties, and the presence of many bioactive compounds. However, differences among cultivation systems can affect its composition and, consequently, its potential bioactivity. Herein, for the first time, raspberries grown in an aeroponic system were investigated for their chemical profile and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as their enzyme (α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase) inhibitory properties in comparison to wild and conventionally cultivated fruits. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) analyses revealed the presence of gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin, and catechin in all the samples. The extracts exhibited in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (inhibition of nitric oxide production) regardless of the cultivation method. Of particular interest is the ability of raspberries to inhibit pancreatic lipase. With the exception of the β-carotene bleaching test, the raspberries grown in conventional and aeroponic systems were more active in terms of antioxidants than wild fruits, as evidenced by the ABTS (IC50 in the range 1.6-3.4 μg/mL), DPPH (IC50 in the range 8.9-28.3 μg/mL), and FRAP tests (24.6-44.9 μM Fe(II)/g). The raspberries from aeroponic cultivation were generally able to exert the same bioactivity as those obtained from both conventionally cultivated and wild fruits, supporting the consideration that in the future, this technology could reshape agriculture by mitigating resource constraints, fostering sustainable practices and increasing yields.

Monitoring and Control System Development on IoT-Based Aeroponic Growth of Pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.)


 
 
 
 One of the methods that can be used by Indonesian people in urban farming is the Aeroponic method of planting plants. The aeroponic method has a faster nutrient delivery speed than hydroponics and normal plant cultivation. The main objective of this study was to design an aeroponic monitoring and control system for Pakcoy (Brassica rapa. L) using the blynk application as an interface for remote control. The control system used is NodeMCU V3, DHT22 sensor, HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor and TDS sensor. Plants in the system use a container box measuring 110 cm x 80 cm with 10 nozzles on the inside of the box attached to a ½ inch pipe, with 24 planting holes on the lid of the box with a spacing of 20 cm. The pump will automatically turn on when the temperature in the box is >25oC and will stop when the temperature is =24oC, or when the humidity is <80%. The results obtained during the 30 days of research showed that the average R2 value of the DHT22 sensor was 0.9864 and 0.9864, the HC-SR04 sensor was 0.996 and the TDS sensor was 0.9899. Observations on the growth of pakcoy plants obtained an average height of 13.3 cm for system plants and 13.4 cm for control plants. The average leaf width in system plants was 4.3 cm and 3.6 cm in control plants. the average number of leaves on system plants is 8 leaves and 9 leaves on control plants. The system plant weight was 5.493 gr and that of the control plant was 2.961 gr. The control system that has been made can work well and can be used in aeroponic cultivation of plants.
 
 
 

Ammonium-nitrate mixtures dominated by NH4+-N promote the growth of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) through enhanced N uptake and assimilation.

Nitrogen (N) limits plant productivity, and its uptake and assimilation may be regulated by N sources, N assimilating enzymes, and N assimilation genes. Mastering the regulatory mechanisms of N uptake and assimilation is a key way to improve plant nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, it is poorly known how these factors interact to influence the growth process of pecans. In this study, the growth, nutrient uptake and N assimilation characteristics of pecan were analyzed by aeroponic cultivation at varying / ratios (0/0, 0/100,25/75, 50/50, 75/25,100/0 as CK, T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5). The results showed that T4 and T5 treatments optimally promoted the growth, nutrient uptake and N assimilating enzyme activities of pecan, which significantly increased aboveground biomass, average relative growth rate (RGR), root area, root activity, free amino acid (FAA) and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations, nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT and NADH-GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activities. According to the qRT-PCR results, most of the N assimilation genes were expressed at higher levels in leaves and were mainly significantly up-regulated under T1 and T4 treatments. Correlation analysis showed that a correlation between N assimilating enzymes and N assimilating genes did not necessarily exist. The results of partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) analysis indicated that N assimilation genes could affect the growth of pecan by regulating N assimilation enzymes and nutrients. In summary, we suggested that the / ratio of 75:25 was more beneficial to improve the growth and NUE of pecan. Meanwhile, we believe that the determination of plant N assimilation capacity should be the result of a comprehensive analysis of N concentration, N assimilation enzymes and related genes.

Machine-Learning Approach to Non-Destructive Biomass and Relative Growth Rate Estimation in Aeroponic Cultivation

We train and compare the performance of two machine learning methods, a multi-variate regression network and a ResNet-50-based neural network, to learn and forecast plant biomass as well as the relative growth rate based onfrom a short sequence of temporal images from plants in aeroponic cultivation. The training dataset consists of images of 57 plants taken from two different angles every hour during a 5-day period. The results show that images taken from a top-down perspective produce better results for the multi-variate regression network, while images taken from the side are better for the ResNet-50 neural network. In addition, using images from both cameras improves the biomass estimates from the ResNet-50 network, but not those from the multivariatemulti-variatemultivariate regression. However, all relative growth rate estimates were improved by using images from both cameras. We found that the best biomass estimates are produced from the multi-variate regression model trained on top camera images using a moving average filter resulting in a root mean square error of 0.0466 g. The best relative growth rate estimates were produced from the ResNet-50 network training on images from both cameras resulting in a root mean square error of 0.1767 g/(g·day).

Effect of Salicylic Acid on the Growth and Development of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) under Standard and High EC Nutrient Solution in Aeroponic Cultivation

High electrical conductivity (EC) in cultivation systems with the recirculating nutrient solutions can affect plant growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the effect of salicylic acid (SA) on the selected physiological and biochemical parameters of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) growing aeroponically at standard and high concentrations of nutritive solutions. Four experimental variants were tested: (1) plants cultivated under low EC conditions, (2) plants cultivated under low EC conditions and treated with foliar SA, (3) plants cultivated under high EC conditions, (4) plants cultivated under high EC conditions and treated with SA on leaves and roots. The obtained results revealed that exogenous SA, regardless of EC, reduced the formation of fruits with calcium deficiency symptoms. Furthermore, SA helps plants to cope with high EC nutrient stress through an increase in leaf SPAD index, maximum light-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence and PSII viability. Exogenous SA reduced the number of soluble proteins both under low and high EC; however, increased H2O2 content induced a defence mechanism reflected by the upregulation of antioxidant enzyme activity. The results of the study provide valuable information on the role of SA in the alleviation of the harmful effect of salinity under aeroponic cultivation.

Design of a high-voltage electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle and its droplet adhesion effects on aeroponically cultivated plant roots

In the process of aeroponics cultivation, the atomizer is one of the most important influencing factors on the cultivation process. This paper presented the design of an ultrasonic atomization nozzle using contact charging and a root droplet adhesion test rig. The purpose of this study was to reveal the relationship between the main operating parameters of the high-voltage electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle and the atomization effect using droplet adhesion measurements. In this study, the ultrasonic effect of nozzle was achieved by using Laval tube, and the design of the key parameters for the high-voltage electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle were inlet pressure, electrostatic voltage root core electrode material and spray distance; the droplet size variation and root adhesion patterns were obtained through experiments. The best operating parameters were analyzed by using the orthogonal test method, and the droplet deposition distribution of the root system at different scales was investigated in the atomization chamber. The test results revealed that when the root core electrode material was coppe and the nozzle working parameters were at 0.4 MPa of inlet pressure, at 1.75 m the spray distance, at 12 kV of the electrostatic voltage, the root system has the highest droplet adhesion. Keywords: ultrasonic nozzle, high pressure electrostatic system, droplet size measurement, root adhesion test, droplet deposition effect DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20231602.7222 Citation: Gao J M, Guo Y N, Tunio M H, Chen X C, Chen Z J. Design of a high-voltage electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle and its droplet adhesion effect on aeroponically cultivated plant roots. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(2): 30–37.

Increasing community food security through aquaponic and aeroponic cultivation

The topographical conditions in Bulo-Bulo Village, Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi, tend to be bumpy and rocky, which is the main problem in farming. Locals exclusively use growing methods because there is little public awareness about cultivation technologies. The community employs a number of different fish farming systems. Additionally, the cost of fish feed has a tendency to change, making it harder for people to satisfy their needs for the primary protein source. The community can be counseled on land use by using aquaponic and aeroponic systems as a possible solution to the issue. Regardless of climatic conditions or current land characteristics, aquaponic technology is recognized as a substitute for integrated farming systems. By providing counseling, instruction, and hands-on support to the residents of Bulo-Bulo Village, the strategy is put into action. The results of this action take the shape of autonomous aquaponic and aeroponic installations that grow food crops and fish in the same space to reduce production costs and increase earnings. Every family in the community is intended to be able to benefit from this activity and use the farming technology in order to reinforce and encourage long-term improvements in the nation of Indonesia's food security.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of AMT and NRT Gene Family in Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) Seedlings Revealed a Preference for NH4+-N.

Nitrogen (N) is a major limiting factor for plant growth and crop production. The use of N fertilizer in forestry production is increasing each year, but the loss is substantial. Mastering the regulatory mechanisms of N uptake and transport is a key way to improve plant nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, this has rarely been studied in pecans. In this study, 10 AMT and 69 NRT gene family members were identified and systematically analyzed from the whole pecan genome using a bioinformatics approach, and the expression patterns of AMT and NRT genes and the uptake characteristics of NH4+ and NO3- in pecan were analyzed by aeroponic cultivation at varying NH4+/NO3- ratios (0/0, 0/100,25/75, 50/50, 75/25,100/0 as CK, T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5). The results showed that gene duplication was the main reason for the amplification of the AMT and NRT gene families in pecan, both of which experienced purifying selection. Based on qRT-PCR results, CiAMTs were primarily expressed in roots, and CiNRTs were majorly expressed in leaves, which were consistent with the distribution of pecan NH4+ and NO3- concentrations in the organs. The expression levels of CiAMTs and CiNRTs were mainly significantly upregulated under N deficiency and T4 treatment. Meanwhile, T4 treatment significantly increased the NH4+, NO3-, and NO2- concentrations as well as the Vmax and Km values of NH4+ and NO3- in pecans, and Vmax/Km indicated that pecan seedlings preferred to absorb NH4+. In summary, considering the single N source of T5, we suggested that the NH4+/NO3- ratio of 75:25 was more beneficial to improve the NUE of pecan, thus increasing pecan yield, which provides a theoretical basis for promoting the scale development of pecan and provides a basis for further identification of the functions of AMT and NRT genes in the N uptake and transport process of pecan.

Sustainable Soilless Cultivation Mode: Cultivation Study on Droplet Settlement of Plant Roots under Ultrasonic Aeroponic Cultivation

In order to solve the effects of environmental factors on the droplet settlement of a nutrient solution on plant roots when planting plants with ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation, this study aimed to obtain a suitable wind speed range and atomization time through a nutrient solution atomization experiment, to obtain the best control scheme through a multi-environmental parameter combination cultivation experiment. Taking an ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation device as the research object, and lettuce as the test material, experiments were carried out on two factors affecting the wind speed of an axial fan and the atomization time of the nutrient amount of ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation plants; the suitable wind speed range was 1.0–2.5 m/s. The temperatures of the lettuce root zones in the upper, middle, and lower layers of the ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation device at different time periods were obtained by atomizing the nutrient solution. When the optimum temperature for the root growth of lettuce was 15–20 °C and the wind speed was 1.0–2.5 m/s, the continuous atomization time of the nutrient solution was 66–184 min. Using a quadratic orthogonal rotation combination design method, three main factors, namely wind speed, ambient temperature, and atomization time, were selected to test droplet settlement in the lettuce roots. The droplet settlement in the lettuce root system was measured. The droplet settlement regression equation in the lettuce root system was established. The reliability of the regression model was tested according to the significance condition, and a simplified quadratic orthogonal regression equation was obtained. The main effect analysis, single factor analysis, and interaction effect analysis were used to analyze the model, and the model was further verified. The verification results showed that the relative error between the predicted value and the actual value of the average root droplet sedimentation was 5.8%. The optimum wind speed was 2.5 m/s, the ambient temperature was 16 °C, and the atomization time was 184 min when the ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation device designed in this study was used to cultivate lettuce. It could provide a theoretical reference and an experimental basis for the control of the related growth environment parameters of plants cultivated using ultrasonic aeroponic cultivation.

Potato Aeroponics: Effects of Cultivar and Plant Origin on Minituber Production

Aeroponics is a modern and soilless technology that is used for the efficient production of pre-basic seed potatoes, namely minitubers. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the cultivar and type of planting material on the production of minitubers in the aeroponic facility in Guča, Serbia, at short, 7-day harvest intervals. Although aeroponic cultivation prolonged the vegetative cycle in all five investigated cultivars, the dynamics of minituber formation varied between genotypes. Two early maturing cultivars, Cleopatra and Sinora, quickly completed the vegetative cycle and formed a small number of minitubers, while the medium-late to late cultivars, Kennebec and Agria, steadily tuberized during the entire cultivation period in the aeroponic facility. The type of planting material affected the dynamics of minituber formation in three investigated cultivars. Sinora, Cleopatra, and Désirée’s plants of in vitro origin reached the final number of minitubers and the vines started senescing much earlier than plants of minituber origin. Kennebec and Agria plants of in vitro origin produced the largest number of minitubers (53.8–54.5) and showed the highest yield (9.8–10.5 kg m−2) during the cultivation period, while the heaviest minitubers were formed by Sinora plants of minituber origin (15.48 g). In addition, the temperature during pre-harvest periods significantly affected the number of tubers at harvests in Kennebec and Agria, and minituber mass in Désirée.

A Comparative LCA of Aeroponic, Hydroponic, and Soil Cultivations of Bioactive Substance Producing Plants

Sustainable agriculture is currently trendy. It is supported not only for the urban environment but also as an innovation of conventional practices in order to increase the efficiency and quality of agricultural production. This study presents the results achieved within selected soil-less (hydroponic and aeroponic) systems. Then, it compares them, using the tool of comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), with the results of soil cultivation. The attention is directed towards biomass production and the content of bioactive substances, which can compensate for higher operating costs of soil-less cultivation systems. Coffea arabica has shown a significant increase of caffeine and theobromine contents, both in leaves and roots, as well as higher biomass yield during the aeroponic cultivation. On the contrary, Senecio bicolor evinced the results of a considerably increased growth in the hydroponic system, with no higher contents of alkaloid or flavonoids, except for the rutin concentration. The LCA results of the compared soil and soil-less systems showed that the consumption of fertilizers, diesel, and water in soil systems and of conventional electricity in aeroponics and hydroponics contributed mostly to their environmental burden. The major environmental impact categories are terrestrial ecotoxicity, human non-carcinogenic toxicity, and global warming. Therefore, in order to make the soil-less cultivation systems sustainable, these environmental aspects need to be considered deeply.

Sustainable Production of Insecticidal Compounds from Persea indica.

In this work, we have investigated the accumulation of ryanoids in different plant parts (leaves, stems and roots) of aeroponically grown Persea indica cloned trees (one-year-old cloned individuals) and a selected mature, wild tree. We tested the insect antifeedant (against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi) and nematicidal (against Meloidogyne javanica) effects of ethanolic extracts from these different plant parts. The HPLC-MS analysis of P. indica extracts showed that mature tree (wild) leaves had two times more chemical diversity than stems. Aeroponic plants showed fewer differences in chemical diversity between leaves and stems, with the lowest diversity found in the roots. Ryanodane epiryanodol (1) was present in all the plant parts, with the mature stems (wild) containing the highest amount. The aeroponic stems also accumulated ryanoids including 1, cinnzeylanol (2) and cinnzeylanone (4). The insect Spodoptera littoralis was strongly affected by the stem extracts, while leaf extracts were moderately active. Based on predicted vs. real antifeedant values, we concluded that the ryanoid content (1 or a combination of 2, 4 and 1) explained the antifeedant effects of the stem extracts, while additional components contributed to the activity of the leaf extracts. Therefore, careful individual selection of P. indica seedlings should be carried out prior to proceeding with aeroponic cultivation in order to obtain ryanodane-rich stem or leaf extracts with strong antifeedant effects on S. littoralis.

Production and Structural Diversification of Withanolides by Aeroponic Cultivation of Plants of Solanaceae: Cytotoxic and Other Withanolides from Aeroponically Grown Physalis coztomatl.

Withanolides constitute one of the most interesting classes of natural products due to their diversity of structures and biological activities. Our recent studies on withanolides obtained from plants of Solanaceae including Withania somnifera and a number of Physalis species grown under environmentally controlled aeroponic conditions suggested that this technique is a convenient, reproducible, and superior method for their production and structural diversification. Investigation of aeroponically grown Physalis coztomatl afforded 29 withanolides compared to a total of 13 obtained previously from the wild-crafted plant and included 12 new withanolides, physacoztolides I−M (9–13), 15α-acetoxy-28-hydroxyphysachenolide C (14), 28-oxophysachenolide C (15), and 28-hydroxyphysachenolide C (16), 5α-chloro-6β-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrophysachenolide D (17), 15α-acetoxy-5α-chloro-6β-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrophysachenolide D (18), 28-hydroxy-5α-chloro-6β-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrophysachenolide D (19), physachenolide A-5-methyl ether (20), and 17 known withanolides 3–5, 8, and 21–33. The structures of 9–20 were elucidated by the analysis of their spectroscopic data and the known withanolides 3–5, 8, and 21–33 were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported. Evaluation against a panel of prostate cancer (LNCaP, VCaP, DU-145, and PC-3) and renal carcinoma (ACHN) cell lines, and normal human foreskin fibroblast (WI-38) cells revealed that 8, 13, 15, and 17–19 had potent and selective activity for prostate cancer cell lines. Facile conversion of the 5,6-chlorohydrin 17 to its 5,6-epoxide 8 in cell culture medium used for the bioassay suggested that the cytotoxic activities observed for 17–19 may be due to in situ formation of their corresponding 5β,6β-epoxides, 8, 27, and 28.

Design and experiment of a barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system

Theoretically, aeroponic cultivation is easy to make plant roots in a better growth environment. In order to give better play to the theoretical advantages of aeroponic cultivation, further optimize the structure of the aeroponic cultivation system, and make the aeroponic cultivation system more scientific and reasonable, a barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system is designed. The aeroponic cultivation system is composed of a monitoring and control system, power equipment, nutrient solution storage, and treatment facility, nutrient solution supply pipelines, aeroponic cultivation barrels, and nutrient solution return pipelines. The cultivation system working principle and its technical requirements were analyzed, and its structure for meeting the requirements of large-scale production was determined. A performance test of the barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system using cultivated narrow leaved Chinese chives was conducted. The Chinese chives were cultivated to 6 beds of the cultivation barrel. The system supplied nutrient solution every 30 min for 2 min each time. After 5 weeks growth, the length, leaf width, and single weight of Chinese chive ranged from 293-362 mm, 4.1-6.7 mm, and 3.48-5.47 g, respectively, the average length, leaf width, and single weight of Chinese chive were 327 mm, 5.1 mm, and 4.24 g, respectively, and there were no significant differences in the length, leaf width, and single weight of Chinese chive on 6 beds by One-way ANOVA. The test results showed that all the Chinese chive in each bed of the cultivation barrel grew well and uniform, which indicated that the circulation process of nutrient solution supply and return in the system was normal, the process of nutrient solution atomization in the system was uniform, and the aeroponic cultivation system operated normally and stable and could be applied in production. Keywords: aeroponic cultivation, soilless cultivation, facility agriculture, Chinese chive DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221504.7508 Citation: Qi S H, Ma Y F, Zhang M, Yin B Q, Xu Z Y, Liu S G. Design and experiment of a barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(4): 90–94.

ORGANIC HYDROPONICS (BIOPONICS) AND AEROPONICS APPLICATION FOR DANDELION KOK-SAGHYZ CULTIVATION

Dandelion kok-saghyz (Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin) is a producer of high quality natural rubber. To grow this type of dandelion in the ground is associated with many difficulties, some of which can be solved using hydroponic, bioponic and aeroponic cultivation methods. In this research, experiments were performed on the cultivation of kok-saghyz in hydroponics, bioponics and aeroponics, in which there were used the balanced mineral and organic fertilizers in liquid form. The optimal growth of dandelions indoors was observed under the illumination of phyto lamps with red-blue-neutral spectra. In the hydroponic method of cultivation, the roots of kok-saghyz formed decay after prolonged growth, while in bioponics and aeroponics, the roots turned out to be massive and the plants developed fully. Under aeroponic cultivation, the average weight of a three-month-old kok-saghyz plant was 27±1.2 grams, the roots by wet weight were 10±0.3 grams, the dry weight was 2.35±0.08 grams and the rubber content was 0.8±0.04% per wet weight of the root, respectively. During the aeroponic cultivation of koksaghyz, by spraying the root system with a nutrient solution the roots developed well without decay. It is shown that these methods can be used in the cultivation of kok-saghyz year-round in a greenhouse and indoors, while the plants were able to produce rubber.