Plant growth chambers are environmental test chambers designed to create optimal conditions for plant germination and growth by controlling temperature, humidity, and light. They are widely used in agriculture research on crop productivity, including plant breeding, nutrition, and photosynthesis. Various types of chambers exist such as reach-in and walk-in, and techniques like hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and vertical aquaponics allow for growing plants without soil. Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics in a symbiotic system where fish waste nutrients feed plants.
2. `• Plant growth chambers are special type of environmental test
chambers which are designed to perform plant growth experiments
inside laboratory. The aim of a plant growth chamber is to create such
atmospheric conditions responsible for effective plant germination
and growth. In such chambers or cabinets, humidity, temperature and
lights are controlled in such a way that you can create desired
environment essential for examining growth of a particular plant.
3. Applications
Plant growth chambers and plant growth walk-in rooms are widely
used in agriculture fields in order to do research on crop productivity.
Plant related agriculture research and development are the prime
applications of these units; plant breeding, plant nutrition,
photosynthesis are some of areas where plant growth chambers play
an important role. Plant categories may vary such as cereal,
arabidopsis, algae, tobacco, physcomitrella, fungi, medicago, weeds,
soybeans, potatoes and other commercial crops and horticulture plants
etc.
10. What is Hydroponics?
• It is technique for growing plants without soil. Utilizing this
technology, the roots absorb balanced nutrient dissolved in water
that meets all the plant developmental requirements
• The nutrients used in hydroponic systems can come from an array of
different sources; these can include, fish waste, duck manure, or
purchased chemical fertilizers.
11. System Requirement
•PH Control: 5.8 to 6.4 , or slightly acidic
•Artificial Lighting ,High Pressure Sodium Lamps
•Temperature and Environmental Control “22 to 26 ºC”
12. Advantages
• Some hydroponic growers got many times greater yields than
conventional methods, Because hydroponically grown plants dip their
roots directly into nutrient-rich solutions, they get what they need
much more easily than plants growing in soil.
• Smaller Growing Area and grow anywhere.
• Less water and fertilizer is needed.
• Soil borne diseases are controlled.
13. Disadvantages
•Cost of initial investment on hydroponic systems is high.
• Capital and labor intensive.
•A high level of expertise is required.
•Daily attention is necessary.
•Specially formulated, soluble nutrients must always be used.
•Some water born diseases can spread rapidly in recirculation system
14. Aeroponics
• Aeroponics is an indoor gardening practice in which plants are grown
and nourished by suspending their root structures in air and regularly
spraying them with a nutrient and water solution.
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18. Aquaponics
• Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture, which is growing fish
and hydroponics which is growing plants without soil.
• Aquaponics uses these two in a symbiotic combination in which
plants are fed the aquatic animals’ discharge or waste. In return, the
vegetables clean the water that goes back to the fish.
•Microbes play an important role to the nutrition of the plants. These
beneficial bacteria gather in the spaces between the roots of the plant
and converts the fish waste and the solids into substances the plants
can use to grow.
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21. Aquaponics Requirement
•High Pressure Sodium Lamps of 400 watts which are placed 1.5m
above the tables.
•Daily Testing
Dissolved oxygen “DO”, Temperature, Total ammonia nitrogen “TAN” .
•Weekly Testing
Iron , Alkalinity , Nitrate , Potassium , Calcium.
22. • PH Control
More efficient at PH 7.5
Optimum PH for nutrient solubility is 6.5 or slightly lower
Low PH ammonia accumulates to level that are toxic to fish
• Ensure good aeration for Fish, plant and bacteria require adequate
levels of dissolved oxygen “DO”
Maintain DO > 5 mg/liter
23. Vertical aquaponics
•One of the greatest aspects of aquaponics is its ability to grow an
incredible amount of food in a very small area. No method does this
better than vertical aquaponics. Plants are stacked on top of each other
in tower systems, water flows in through the top of the tower, and flow
through a wicking material that plant absorb water and nutrient from
the water then falls into a trough or directly into the fish tank. This
form of agriculture makes the most of each square foot of space and
works very well with leafy greens, strawberries and other plants that
do not require support to grow.
24. Benefits of Aquaponics
• Aquaponics is a way to grow your own fish and vegetables at the same
time.
• There is no need to use fertilizers because the fish provide rich nutrients
for the plants.
• In aquaponics, less water is used for the crops. Research has shown that
aquaponics gardens use 1/10th of the water you would use for soil garden.
• You can grow plants in very small space, and have a great harvest.
• Chemicals can’t be used because they would harm the fish.
• Reduce damage from pests and diseases.
• Plants grow fast
• Water is used in a closed system and circulated effectively, reducing the
consumption of water.
25. Disadvantages of Aquaponics
• Require technical knowledge of aquaponics systems.
• High start up implementation cost.
