Transcript Experience with aeroponics for pre

Experience with
aeroponics for
pre-basic seed potato
production in
Sichuan, China
Wei He, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
KaiYuan Xie, International Potato Center, Beijing, China
Peter VanderZaag, Sunrise Potato, Alliston, Ontario, Canada
Aeroponics defined
1. Dictionary:
aero – Greek word meaning air
ponos – Greek word meaning labor
2. Practically:
growing plants in air
without any medium
Aeroponics benefits
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Oxygen available to root zone
Greatly reduced pathogen pressure
Greater control of plant environment
Nutrients all utilized
No growing media needed
User friendly
History of
Aeroponics Experiments
1. 1980s – NASA – feeding people in
space and on Mars
2. 1990s – South Korea
3. 2000s – Vietnam & China
Wenchuan Earthquake, May 2008
70,000 killed &15,000,000 affected
Wenchuan Earthquake, May 2008
International & Chinese Response
CGIAR, CIP, CAAS Rehabilitation
Project in Sichuan, China
Step 1. Large scale in-vitro
multiplication
Step 1. Large scale in-vitro
multiplication
Step 2. Tissue culture plants
placed in aeroponic beds
Sketch of Aeroponic system
plant
pump
box
sprayer
timer
supply
pipe
returned
pipe
medium
pool
plastic pad
filter
Step 3. Apical cuttings
placed in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Apical cuttings
growing in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Apical cuttings
growing in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Tuber production
in aeroponic beds
Step 5. Tubers harvested
from aeroponic beds
Aeroponics – early results
Variety
Shape Resistance
to LB
Tuber No./plant
Spring
Autumn
Source
381381.13
Round
R
33.61
40.28
CIP
391058.175
Oval
Highly R
32.67
41.61
CIP
Chuanyu
CIP,
Oval
Highly R
24.38
28.68
Mira
Long oval
Mid R
21.38
24.59
Released
Zhongshu 3
Oval
S
19.66
22.05
Released
Shepody
Long oval
S
17.69
20.34
Canada
Favorita
Long oval
S
20.73
21.68
Holland
117
Released
Influence of growing media
Variety
Chuanyu 117
Mira
Media
MS based I
MS based II
0.5MS based I
1.5MS based I
MS based I
MS based II
0.5MS based I
1.5MS based I
Tuber Wt
（g/㎡）
2222a
2020ab
1971b
1956b
1795bc
1643c
1639c
1341d
Tuber No./㎡
1098bcd
1450a
896de
1287de
1049cd
1151bc
748e
919de
Large-scale, private sector adoption
Results & Impact
2013
1. Aeroponics on
10,000 sq. m
2. Average of 5,000
tubers/sq. m
3. 40% improvement
since 2007
4. Up to 75
tubers/plant/crop
Dr. He Wei sharing the Aeroponics Story
World Potato Congress, Edinburgh, May 2012