Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Central Visayas Region
DIVISION OF GUIHULNGAN CITY
SPECIAL SCIENCE PROGRAM
Guihulngan National High School-Poblacion
Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental

Aeroponic and Traditional Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum)

Researchers:
Bayer, Lindsay P.
Carroz, Kristine T.
Concepcion, Sharliemaejean Princess R.

Research Adviser:

Mrs. Anacita Malahay

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Ever since the beginning of human civilization, humans have prioritized economic development

more than anything else. One thing that is being sacrificed in order for them to reach the latter's

maximum progress is agriculture. Crops are highly dependent on weather, and through the years,

the weather conditions in the country have become more unpredictable due to climate change.

Another thing that causes the lack of crop-friendly lands is the rapid population growth. Due to

this large population, there is a higher demand for food resources. This continuous

overpopulation dilemma is also the reason why more green fields are turned into shelters until

the cultivation of crops is less desirable. Approximately four million hectares are lost because of

the conversion of land for highways, housing, factories, and other urban needs.

Traditional farming involves the intensive use of indigenous knowledge, traditional tools, natural

resources, organic fertilizer, and the cultural beliefs of farmers. Although still used by about fifty

percent of the world's population, depletion of nutrients, deforestation, soil erosion, and

unhealthy crops are among its negative impacts on the environment.

Given the disadvantages and the different conditions that affect the efficacy of traditional

farming, urban farming is slowly being used instead in cities around the world. This method
transforms traditional farming into a sustainable growing scheme, which allows metropolitan

areas to harvest crops since they now have weak soil for planting.

While there are varieties of urban farming techniques on the market, all techniques have one

similar goal: to provide nutrients to the plants in a different environment. Common procedures

such as rooftop farming, hydroponics, and aquaponics have remained prevailing in urban

agriculture up to date.

In conventional farming, soil is the most available crop growing medium, and it is considered the

natural medium for plant growth because it provides their basic necessities for survival and

productivity, including nutrients, air, and water. 

However, continuous cultivation of crops in soil since the beginning of agriculture and then

intensive farming practices have resulted in poor soil conditions associated with the

accumulation of chemicals and toxic substances, poor aeration, and soil-borne pests. Such

practices also lead to a waste of water and nutrients and, hence, a consequential decline in yield.

Moreover, the availability of cultivation land is diminishing due to population increases,

urbanization, desertification, salinization, and other human and natural factors. Thus, it is

essential to look for alternative plant and crop production methods without involving the soil.

Under conditions in which favorable soil is unavailable or too expensive, or where the growth of
high-value crops outside of their season or place is required, soilless plant growing methods are

highly desirable.

Soilless culture can be considered one of the main strategies for sustainable horticulture. In

connection with the expansion of greenhouse production, the progress of soilless production

systems has been promising over the last few decades. In soilless cultures, plants can be grown

either with or without the use of artificial media. When solid media are not used, roots can

develop in liquid culture (hydroponics) or in a mist environment (aeroponics). 

 Future colonization will be strongly dependent on plant cultivation. However, classic soil plant

cultivation is not feasible in lower or microgravity conditions. Hence, there is a need to search

for another suitable kind of cultivation. Recently, soilless cultivation has become more popular

due to its known benefits compared to conventional solutions.

An example of soilless cultivation is aeroponics. Aeroponics is a type of soilless cultivation in

which roots are suspended in a closed chamber where nutrient solutions can be directly applied

to the roots in the form of a fine mist. In aeroponics, no solid substrate is involved as a medium,

and roots are kept in a highly humid and aerobic environment where plentiful water, nutrients,

and oxygen are supplied to create an ideal plant growing condition. This condition allows plants

to better uptake water and nutrients, which consequently leads to faster plant growth and

development.
B. Statement of the Problem

The aim of this study is to compare which method is more effective for planting tomatoes. The

researchers in this study aim to prove that aeroponics is more effective than traditional method.

For these reasons, it is important to study the aeroponics systems required to achieve the tomato

and investigate the result with the tomatoes grown in the traditional and aeroponic systems, thus

leading to the following research question:

Q1. Which type of farming method is more advantageous and beneficial for tomato

planting?

Q2. Which of the two methods will result in taller plants?

Q3. How many days will the plant take to bear fruit with each method?

C. Materials and Methods

In the traditional method, tomato seed (Solanum lycopersicum) was germinated individually in a

medium-sized pot. In the aeroponic method, tomato seed (Solanum lycopersicum) was

germinated on a wet paper towel and placed in a container. After 2-3 days, we will transfer the

seed individually into a wet growing medium foam. Both methods were hand-watered.

D. Hypothesis

Due to the enhanced aeration and roots are kept in a highly humid and aerobic environment

where plentiful water, nutrients, and oxygen are supplied to create an ideal plant growing
condition, aeroponic method is more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective than traditional

farming.

E. Objectives of the Study

1. To determine which type of farming method is more advantageous and beneficial for tomato

planting.

2. To investigate the role of aeroponics on plant growth of tomatoes in comparison with

traditional method.

3. To discover which farming method is more recommended to the society.

4. To compare the traditional method and aeroponic method in planting tomatoes.

F. Significance of the Study

Growing plants in soil is no longer a sustainable way to grow food for the 7 billion people on the

planet. Increase crop yields by 45% to 75%. The outcomes of using aeroponics systems over

their counterparts are more efficient use of water. Almost 99 percent of the water is used. Since

pesticides and soil-compatible fertilizers are not used, the fruits and vegetables obtained are pure

and don’t need to be washed before use. delivers nutrients directly to the plant roots, which

results in faster crop growth. People who are farming aeroponically will greatly benefit from the

research because they don't need to monitor the water's pH level, temperature, and humidity;

considerably less maintenance is needed; and they help the environment by conserving water and

reducing the amount of human labor involved. The society and the relationships between

individuals will greatly benefit from the research by sharing new insights and learning from
those improvements in technology, especially in the agriculture sector of the society. The

country's economy will benefit from these improvements. The government will be introduced to

new methods and procedures of aeroponic gardening that can be adapted by the agricultural

sector, especially in urban areas where farming areas are small. This will also implement a new

set of standards in other areas that are not exposed to these kinds of techniques. The community

where farming is situated will also benefit from the high productivity of the farming business;

therefore, increasing income will be expected since every variable prior to the plant's growth is

all in the farmer's hands. 

G. Scope and Limitations

Aeroponics is the modern agricultural conception in which plants are grown without soil. In this

study, traditional and aeroponic method was used and focused in growing tomatoes (Solanum

Lycopersicum).

Traditional and aeroponic method requires time, and maintenance for large-scale production.

Plants may be left alone for days in conventional farming and will survive for short periods. The

nutrients in the soil and weather conditions maintain balance in the plant growth. For aeroponics,

this is not the case. Without proper care and maintenance, plants will not survive a day or two.

H. Definition of Terms

Aeroponic farming – is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the

use of soil.
Traditional farming – is the process of growing plants in open spaces using traditional tools and

natural resources such as sunshine and rain. It may also involve using organic fertilizers or

chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides to encourage plant growth.