Experience with

aeroponics for
pre-basic seed potato
production in
Sichuan, China
Wei He, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
KaiYuan Xie, International Potato Center, Beijing, China
Peter VanderZaag, Sunrise Potato, Alliston, Ontario, Canada
Aeroponics defined

1. Dictionary:
aero Greek word meaning air
ponos Greek word meaning labor

2. Practically:
growing plants in air
without any medium
Aeroponics benefits

1. Oxygen available to root zone
2. Greatly reduced pathogen pressure
3. Greater control of plant environment
4. Nutrients all utilized
5. No growing media needed
6. User friendly
History of
Aeroponics Experiments

1. 1980s NASA feeding people in
space and on Mars
2. 1990s South Korea
3. 2000s Vietnam & China
Wenchuan Earthquake, May 2008
70,000 killed &15,000,000 affected
Wenchuan Earthquake, May 2008
International & 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
box
returned
pipe
medium
pool
plastic pad
plant
supply
pipe
timer
pump
sprayer
filter
Sketch of Aeroponic system
Step 3. Apical cuttings
placed in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Apical cuttings
growing in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Apical cuttings
growing in aeroponic beds
Step 4. Tuber production
in aeroponic beds
Step 5. Tubers harvested
from aeroponic beds
Variety Shape

Resistance
to LB
Tuber No./plant
Source

Spring Autumn
381381.13 Round R 33.61 40.28 CIP
391058.175 Oval Highly R 32.67 41.61 CIP
Chuanyu
117
Oval Highly R 24.38 28.68
CIP,
Released
Mira Long oval Mid R 21.38 24.59 Released
Zhongshu 3 Oval S 19.66 22.05 Released
Shepody Long oval S 17.69 20.34 Canada
Favorita Long oval S 20.73 21.68 Holland
Aeroponics early results
Variety Media
Tuber Wt
g/
Tuber No./
Chuanyu 117
MS based I 2222a 1098bcd
MS based II 2020ab 1450a
0.5MS based I 1971b 896de
1.5MS based I 1956b 1287de
Mira
MS based I 1795bc 1049cd
MS based II 1643c 1151bc
0.5MS based I 1639c 748e
1.5MS based I 1341d 919de
Influence of growing media
Large-scale, private sector adoption
Results & Impact
2013
1. Aeroponics on
10,000 sq. m
2. Average of 5,000
tubers/sq. m
3. 40% improvement
since 2007
4. Up to 75
tubers/plant/crop
Dr. He Wei sharing the Aeroponics Story
World Potato Congress, Edinburgh, May 2012