Initial study suggests promising future for Aeroponic Rolling Benches

The integration of aeroponics into large-scale controlled environment agriculture (CEA) spaces is a step closer to commercialization, following the first stage of a feasibility study funded by Defra and UKRI.

The 21-month project has been led by LettUs Grow, supported by Agri-Tech Innovation Centre, Crop Health and Protection (CHAP), and focuses on the design and prototype of a fully functioning advanced Aeroponic Rolling Bench system.

The aim is to finesse the technology to enable growers to install it into existing automated growing set-ups, such as hectare-scale greenhouses and indoor farms.

Initial work suggests a promising future for the bench system – functionality has been proven across various crops, and constructive feedback received from industry experts for future design iterations.

Temi Odanye, Lead Project Engineer for LettUs Grow, led the installation for part one of the study at CHAP’s Vertical Farming Development Centre at Stockbridge Technology Centre. “The journey to creating a new product is always a steep learning curve," she said. "These trials provided us with a rare opportunity to test the first prototype’s integration and performance within an existing vertical farming facility.

“We were pleased with the simplicity of the installation process and have already collaboratively identified areas for further improvement in the design. The preliminary growth cycles across four different crops and two different growing media have now provided us with initial design assurance, proven functionality and produced some encouraging indicative growth results.”

LettUs Grow’s ultrasonic aeroponic technology is a method of growing plants without soil, where roots are suspended in air and irrigated using a nutrient-dense mist. Aeroponic technology was previously only available in containerised farming systems, restricting its impact for commercial scale UK food producers.

For the study, the bench system was run alongside hydroponic versions within CHAP’s vertical farm. An exclusive showcase event was then organised to gather feedback from UK industry experts including glasshouse growers, construction experts and vertical farmers.

“In the wake of rising commodity prices and a pressing need to meet Net Zero targets, horticultural growers across the country are keen to explore novel solutions that can help them to achieve continuous improvement in their operational and environmental efficiencies," commented Dr Harry Langford, Innovation Lead at CHAP.

“Our existing hydroponic rolling benches represent commercial best-practice, so it has been a pleasure to work with LettUs Grow to install their benches within our farm and conduct a series of validation trials across four microgreen crops to demonstrate comparative performance.

“Stakeholders have been impressed by their performance so far and we are excited to test further design iterations over the coming months.”

Part two of study will demonstrate the commercial viability and value at scale, and help to reinforce the benefits of aeroponics, which include bed-level control, reduced water consumption and minimized pest and disease pressure.