AWARD YEAR
2019
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Zero Hunger
KEYWORDS
Smart System, sustainable agriculture, zero hunger
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Michael Ruggier, CEO & Co-founder
WEBSITE
https://www.airponix.com/
Airponix Ltd
Soilless agricultural system
The world is entering a period when food availability and affordability will become critical in many countries. The global market opportunity of improving agricultural productivity is £250 billion. Our system can grow a very broad range of crops in almost any region and has the potential to address world food shortages whilst also offering significantly greater environmental benefits. The Airponix system uses nutrient-laden fog to create a cloud of <20 micron droplets using very little energy. The fog moves freely around the low-cost protective polythene enclosures, usabel for almost every terrain, in which the growing plants are supported. Using electrostatic charge, the droplets adhere to the plants’ leaves and roots and absorbed. A smart fully automated system is being developed to give plants what they need, when they need it, operated by a mobile phone app. The high growth rates allow many cycles of crop harvesting in a year.