Study Shows Higher Yield on Crops Grown in the Tower Garden
A 2014 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine evaluated the performance of aeroponic systems, specifically the Tower Garden, in cultivating various leafy vegetables and fruit crops.
You can read the full publication here, or our summary below - Wiley Online Library
Yield Comparison:
The research demonstrated that aeroponically grown plants generally produced higher yields compared to their soil-grown counterparts. Notable increases in yield for aeroponically grown crops included:
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Leafy Vegetables:
- Basil: 19% increase
- Chard: 8% increase
- Red Kale: 65% increase
- Parsley: 21% increase
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Fruit Crops:
- Bell Pepper: 53% increase
- Cherry Tomatoes: 35% increase
- Cucumber: 7% increase
- Squash: 50% increase
Nutritional Content:
The study also assessed the total phenolic and flavonoid content, along with antioxidant properties, of the crops. Findings indicated that aeroponically grown plants had comparable levels of these beneficial compounds to those cultivated in soil. For instance, parsley exhibited flavonoid contents of 14.35 mg quercetin acid equivalent (QE)/g dry weight in field-grown plants and 13.00 mg QE/g dry weight in aeroponically grown plants.
Antioxidant Activity:
Antioxidant activity, measured through radical scavenging activity using the DPPH assay, showed similar trends. Among leafy vegetables, basil demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity, with 63.88% in field-grown and 75.22% in aeroponically grown samples. In fruit crops, cherry tomatoes exhibited the highest activity, with 48.47% in field-grown and 47.70% in aeroponically grown samples.
Conclusion:
The study concluded that aeroponic systems like the Tower Garden can effectively produce higher yields without compromising the nutritional quality of crops. This suggests that aeroponics is a viable alternative to traditional soil cultivation, offering both efficiency and quality in crop production.
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