PowerPoint Presentation

Experience with aeroponics for pre-basic seed potato production in Sichuan, China

Wei He, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, ChinaKaiYuan Xie, International Potato Center, Beijing, ChinaPeter VanderZaag, Sunrise Potato, Alliston, Ontario, CanadaAeroponics defined

Dictionary:aero Greek word meaning airponos Greek word meaning labor

2. Practically:growing plants in air without any mediumAeroponics benefits

Oxygen available to root zoneGreatly reduced pathogen pressureGreater control of plant environmentNutrients all utilizedNo growing media neededUser friendlyHistory ofAeroponics Experiments

1980s NASA feeding people in space and on Mars1990s South Korea2000s Vietnam & China

Wenchuan Earthquake, May 200870,000 killed &15,000,000 affected

Wenchuan Earthquake, May 2008International & 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

boxreturned pipemedium poolplastic padplantsupply pipetimerpumpsprayer filterSketch of Aeroponic system12

Step 3. Apical cuttingsplaced in aeroponic beds

Step 4. Apical cuttingsgrowing in aeroponic beds

Step 4. Apical cuttingsgrowing in aeroponic beds

Step 4. Tuber productionin aeroponic beds

Step 5. Tubers harvestedfrom aeroponic bedsVarietyShapeResistance to LBTuber No./plantSource

SpringAutumn381381.13RoundR33.6140.28CIP391058.175OvalHighly R32.6741.61CIPChuanyu 117OvalHighly R24.3828.68CIP,ReleasedMiraLong ovalMid R21.3824.59ReleasedZhongshu 3OvalS19.6622.05ReleasedShepodyLong ovalS17.6920.34CanadaFavoritaLong ovalS20.7321.68HollandAeroponics early resultsVarietyMediaTuber Wtg/Tuber No./Chuanyu 117MS based I2222a 1098bcd MS based II 2020ab 1450a 0.5MS based I 1971b 896de 1.5MS based I 1956b 1287deMiraMS based I 1795bc 1049cd MS based II 1643c 1151bc 0.5MS based I 1639c 748e 1.5MS based I 1341d 919deInfluence of growing media

Large-scale, private sector adoption

Results & Impact2013Aeroponics on 10,000 sq. mAverage of 5,000 tubers/sq. m40% improvement since 2007Up to 75 tubers/plant/crop

Dr. He Wei sharing the Aeroponics StoryWorld Potato Congress, Edinburgh, May 2012