|
Parameter
|
Geoponics (i.e. soil/sand)
|
Agar plates
|
Aggregate hydroponics
|
|---|
|
Polystyrene/ Rockwool
|
Araponics©
|
This system (Conn et al.)
|
|---|
|
Setup costs
|
Low
|
Low
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
|
Running costs
|
|
Media
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
Low
|
|
Equipment
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
Low
|
|
Footprint
|
Small
|
Small
|
Small
|
Small-to- Intermediate*
|
Small
|
|
Sterile culture
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
Batch variability
|
High
|
Low
|
Low
|
Low
|
Low
|
|
Experimental Flexibility
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
High
|
High
|
High
|
|
Contamination (algal, bacterial)
|
Medium
|
High
|
High
|
Low
|
Low
|
|
Throughput
|
High
|
Intermediate
|
Intermediate
|
Intermediate
|
Intermediate
|
|
Root entanglement
|
Yes
|
Potential
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Developmental window
|
Mature plants
|
< 3 week-old seedlings
|
Mature plants
|
Mature plants
|
Mature plants
|
- * Can use either the low or high density trays.
- The system presented in this manuscript is regarded as agar-based, aggregate hydroponics. Estimated setup costs for Araponics system is approximately US$4 per plant, while for the system presented in this paper is US$0.81 (based on 140 plants, pricing as per January 2013, http://www.araponics.com).
