Aeroponics and Agriculture

Whoa, we went to the Lim Chu Kang Tropical Aeroponics Farm and the Bollywood Veggies farm. We learned about the differences of using technology and traditional methods to grow crops. One of the most advanced ways of growing crops will be using the Aeroponics method. Many plants such as dills, basal plants, kai lans and lettuces that we cook for dinner or use for salads are grown using this method. Aeroponics is a method of growing plants whereby the roots of the plants are suspended in the air. The plants are anchored in holes, atop a panel of polystyrene foam. From a sealed trough below, a fine mist of solublenutrients are sprayed and they adhered to the roots.
In supporting good and healthy growth of the plants, the availability of air in the root zone is critical. In aeroponics, air is aptly present and unlike hydroponics system where water is circulated to encourage aeration of the solution. Besides saving substantial savings in water and land, two of Singapore’s most prized assets, the system also produces cleaner vegetables as they are cultivated under protected environment.
The principle of aeroponics lies in the periodic spraying of plant roots with a nutrient mist, which encourages the growth of an extensive network of fine lateral roots. Because the collective surface area represented by these tiny roots is very large, the uptake of oxygen and nutrientsis much greater than usual, which ultimately allows the plant to grow faster.
The cutting edge technology in cultivating vegetables is most ideal for countries where water and land are scarce, like Singapore.
Hmmm...for agriculture, Miss J discussed with us more about the investments that are put into farming, which is the Primary industry of the of food production. There are two types of farming: Commercial farming and Subsitence farming. Commercial farming happens when the distributer or the person in charge wants to earn the maximum profits from mass production of the farming. On the contrary, the farmer would not mass produce the crops and would just use manual labour to grow enough crops to feed his family or himself. Basically, the food will be just enough to sustain himself or his family only. Did you know, fishing is part of aquaculture?

In agricultural inputs, which is also referred to as investments. They include: land space, seeds, pesticides, capital, fertilisers, pay for labour, tools and machinery, irrigation systems and storage facilities. Because of all these inputs only determines the amount of outputs, which means the harvest of crops.
Stay tuned for more info! :D