Auto-Aeroponics: Automated optimal indoor cultivation without sun, soil and pesticides

Aout-aerponic cultured basil plant is hold up in the air with the rootsystem still intact.

Funded by: Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Forskningsrådet för miljö, areella näringar och samhällsbyggande)

Time period: 2020-2022

Organizational partners: The Dept of Civil and Industrial Engineering and the Dept of Electrical Engineering (both at Uppsala University), Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Optima Planta Sweden AB

About the project

This project is about the scientific, industrial and societal potential of automatic aeroponic indoor cultivation of plants. This means that the roots of the plants are hanging freely in the air and that they are repeatedly sprayed with a nutrition solution. The goal is to investigate what is the potential regarding: (1) Adjusting the growth condition (eg temperature, light intensity, air humidity, spray frequency) to maximize for example the growth speed. (2) Automate and scale up the automated cultivation method to commercially competitive levels.

Project leader: Mats Gustafsson

Project members: Anders Ahlén, Dept of Electrical Engineering, Uppsala University, Martin Weih, Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Optima Planta Sweden AB