Hydroponics

While hydroponic farms do allow a lot of plants to be grown in a small space, they would be a better alternative to traditional farms if those plants grew faster. That may soon be the case, thanks to the development of electrically conductive eSoil.

I grew up with a ready supply of freshly picked greens and veggies from my parents' garden, but apartment dwellers don't have such luxuries. This is where indoor growing units can help, and the Nutroponics Garden Tower can host up to 100 plants.

Aquaponics operations combine aquaculture and hydroponics, with nutrient-rich water from the former being used to fertilize plants in the latter. Soon, such systems could also be powered by methane biogas derived from their own fish feces.

As compared to traditional agriculture, hydroponic farming uses less space and less water, plus it requires no soil. It still does require a growth medium, though – and scientists have recently created a better such medium, derived from human hair.

Many city dwellers don't have access to an outdoor garden but would still like to grow their own greens. HydroArtPod is the latest in a long line of indoor gardening devices looking to automate the cultivation of fresh greens in the home.

Greenery covered skyscrapers have become commonplace in recent years, but what if they could also be used to grow food? Such is the thinking behind the "Farmscraper" by Carlo Ratti Associati, which the firm says could feed up to 40,000 people a year.

​Imagine being able to harvest fresh veggies precisely when you need them without leaving the house. That's the promise of indoor gardens like the OGarden Smart and the Cell One. Now IGWorks is making a bid for your living space with a vertical hydroponics garden called the iHarvest.​

In an effort to make space gardening less time consuming, NASA is teaming up with Tupperware Brands and the technology company Techshot to improve the current experimental hydroponics system used aboard the station.

Forward Thinking Architecture's triple-decker Smart Floating Farms would feature 2.2 million square feet (2.04 sq km) of fish farm, hydroponic garden, and rooftop solar panels to power a floating barge, which could be anchored to the beds of oceans, lakes or rivers.

The International Space Station (ISS) was the scene of an historic lunch this week with the crew members of Expedition 44 dining on the first meal harvested in space. The dish, which consisted of red romaine lettuce, is part of an effort to feed tomorrow's deep-space travelers.

Australian innovator Chris Wilkins has developed a new technology to make vertical green walls simple with his plug and play concept. Lightweight, modular and with a cleverly designed aeroponics system, business is booming.

Italian design office Studiomobile has teamed up with the University of Florence's professor Stefano Mancuso, the director of the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology, to produce a prototype floating greenhouse which it hopes could improve food security in areas with a lack of arable land.