Prakhar Agarwal and Tanay Tiwari’s IIT Kanpur incubated startup, Macrogardens makes aeroponic towers that allow you to develop 30 instances extra greens in small balconies.

Delhi’s Abhishek Gupta has arrange a kitchen backyard to avoid wasting his household from consuming pesticide-laden greens from the market. Just lately, he included a novel aeroponic tower in his kitchen backyard that grows 32 vegetation in an space that beforehand allowed the expansion of solely two vegetation.

“This tower occupies as a lot house as an individual takes whereas standing. And on this small house, I’m rising a number of vegetation like ladyfingers and lettuce. I harvest lettuce for my salad each single day! Subsequent, I’m planning to develop bell peppers,” Abhishek tells The Higher India.

“This vertical tower can be low on upkeep. I simply have so as to add vitamins as soon as in 7 to 10 days. I’m so pleased with this product that I’m planning to buy two extra such towers,” provides the software program engineer.

Aeroponics is a subset of the soil-less hydroponic methodology. On this methodology, the roots of the vegetation are suspended within the air and irrigated with a nutrient-dense mist. Taking this idea into consideration, Lucknow-based Prakhar Agarwal and Tanay Tiwari developed a novel vertical tower to develop veggies in small areas, appropriate for small residence balconies in giant cities.

In dialog with The Higher India, Prakhar explains how the aeroponic tower can revolutionise farming in cities.

Meant for balconies

Prakhar, a pc science graduate by schooling, was at all times captivated with rising his personal greens. Apart from decorative vegetation, he needed to develop veggies on his balcony however with out choosing a tedious soil-based system.

“That is once I got here throughout the soilless hydroponic and aeroponic techniques. Whereas hydroponics requires a horizontal system utilizing PVC pipes that find yourself taking over numerous house, I needed a small setup appropriate for a balcony,” says the 25-year-old.

When the college mates Prakhar and Tanay have been researching extra on the aeroponic system, an incident compelled them to gas the method. “As soon as, I drank sugarcane juice from a road vendor and fell sick. It was so dangerous that I used to be sick for practically 4 months. I knew it was excessive time that we develop our personal meals at house,” he says.

In 2020, Prakhar began engaged on designing an aeroponic tower together with Tanay, and collectively, they launched ‘Macrogardens’ – an IIT Kanpur incubated startup.

“As we needed to optimise house, we needed to develop one thing vertical not like a horizontal PVC pipe hydroponic setup,” he says including that lastly, after engaged on a minimum of 20 designs, the chums got here up with an aeroponic tower that was appropriate for balconies in small residences.

Helps develop 30 instances extra meals

Utilizing food-grade plastic, Prakhar and Tanay developed an aeroponic tower with 32 modules. “Residences, particularly in cities like Bangalore and Delhi, would not have sufficient house for gardening. It permits you to preserve only a few vegetation. However with aeroponic towers, anybody can develop 30 instances extra produce at a 20 % quicker charge in comparison with a soil-based setup,” he says.

Giving an instance, the engineer explains, “One would require an area of 4 sq. toes to develop two cauliflowers. However one can develop 64 cauliflowers in the identical space utilizing aeroponic towers. We’ve given 32 pods in a single tower that permits the expansion of two saplings in every pod.”

“Additionally, normally folks fear about their vegetation withering away once they have to depart for trip or on a piece journey. They’re depending on their neighbours to water their vegetation. However our system resolves that problem as properly,” he provides.

Prakhar informs that their aeroponic tower routinely sprays water on vegetation utilizing a motor and a water tank that may retailer 65 litres of water. “With this, vegetation can survive for 20 to 30 days with none upkeep. And the facility prices solely Rs 35 to Rs 40 for a month,” he provides.

Moreover, he claims that the aeroponic tower saves as much as 95 % water in comparison with a soil-based system the place water is misplaced to transpiration, evaporation, and a big floor space.

Curiously, the aeroponic system — meant for city residents and small-landholding farmers — permits one to develop quite a lot of greens from inexperienced leafy spinach and lettuce to tomatoes, woman fingers, cucumbers, and even tubers like radish and potatoes.

Making cultivating meals straightforward

The aeroponic tower is priced at Rs 6,500. Together with it, Prakhar additionally gives seeds, cocopeat as media, and 17 sorts of nutrient combine comprising nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and hint components like manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

“The one factor that customers want to remember is including the nutrient to the water provide each 12 to fifteen days in summer time and each 25 days in winter. With our system, you additionally don’t must preserve checking TDS and pH ranges within the water. Our essential objective is to indicate folks the benefit of rising meals at house,” he says.

With this, Prakhar goals to see a behavioural change amongst city residents. “Meals cooked utilizing freshly harvested produce is healthier in its texture and flavour. At any time when I harvest kakdi (cucumber), my mom finds it juicy and smooth. However usually, by the point greens from exterior attain our plate, they lose their freshness and vitamins.”

“A lot of folks wish to develop their meals, however with a rising inhabitants and reducing farmland, aeroponics appears to be the way forward for farming. I want for each metropolis dweller to develop their very own pesticide-free meals with this method,” he provides.

Edited by Pranita Bhat. All photographs: Prakhar Agarwal.