A Nevada company has become one of the first to successfully commercialize the hitherto fringe science of aeroponics, or growing plants in air.

And it's now started licensing its previously proprietary technology to others.

NewGardens already grows tomatoes commercially using the technique in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. It's now building a facility on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.

What's wrong with growing food in the ground? Greenhouse farming in soil exhausts nutrients and causes soil mineralization; hydroponics has problems with the difficult management of the substrates and nutritive solutions.

Aeroponics has long promised much lower water and energy inputs per square meter of growing area than hydroponics. But even after twenty years, and even after extensive research by NASA, it's stayed largely a science project.

"A number of universities and many hobbyists have played with aeroponics, but there haven't been many successful large scale commercial operations before ours," Bill Sobolewski, NewGardens operations director, told Cleantech.com.

In 1986, R.J. Stoner [ed.: commend us for resisting the obvious name joke], called the father of commercial aeroponics by some, was the first person ever to market fresh aeroponically grown food to a grocery chain. His equipment is popular in research circles and some commercial greenhouses. But NewGardens thinks it's improved upon his designs.

The key, Sobolewski says, is technology.

"One of our partners has been working on this for almost 20 years. We own the latest patent and have made technology improvements, mainly in electronics, microprocessors and so on."

Computers control the duration and frequency of mist sprayed on the roots of plants grown by NewGardens. The roots hang suspended in the air in enclosed chambers, while the rest of the plant grows outside the chamber. Everything is electronically controlled, including CO2, air exchange, temperature, humidity, heat and other variables.

Sobolewski calls the electricity use of the operation minimal, unless grow lights are used in the evening to bolster growth rates. Yet the real savings, he says, are in water.

"We use only about 10 percent of the water of a hydroponics system. We're a closed loop, so there's very little water loss. And because plants grows more healthy, and more quickly, there are tremendous labor savings."

NewGardens says tomatoes grown with the process are exceptional in a number of ways. Their flavor is better, given high natural sugar and acid concentration. They can be grown consistently year-round. They can be grown up to 50 percent faster, and are fully organic, without any harmful chemicals or pesticides.

While the company has commercial operations in the Canary Islands, NewGardens is pioneering the technique in the United States. And effective immediately, it's now in a position to licensing its technology.

"It's not a prototype or some kind of trial and error system. It's been proven and is robust at this time," said Sobolewski.

NewGardens is collaborating with the University of Nevada, Reno, providing undergraduate studies in aeroponics. In return, the university is allowing the company to build its commercial operation on their property, twenty acres in downtown Reno.

"To have an institution like this affiliated with us and supporting this technology is a major plus," noted Sobolewski.

The company is currently looking for investment. Interested investors should review NewGardens' web site and contact the company.