Two new automation-ready OASIS AeroSubstrates

Controlled-environment hydroponic growers now have two new singulated precision substrates from Oasis Grower Solutions to help fuel their success in the challenging and competitive CEA market.

From climate change and rapidly evolving technologies to consumer demand for reliable, sustainable, year-round production, today’s CEA growers face challenges that demand new approaches. Propagation media pioneer Oasis Grower Solutions has once again responded to the industry’s need with real-world, grower-driven solutions: OASIS® AeroMax™ PlugTray and OASIS® AeroSelect™ PlugTray, two new automation-ready engineered foam substrates optimized for crop and environmental demands.

Developed specifically for precision hydroponic farming, like their predecessors in the OASIS® AeroSubstrates family, new food-safe singulated OASIS® AeroMax™ PlugTray and OASIS® AeroSelect™ PlugTray provide growers with input-responsive substrate options that target specific crops, water demands, seasonal or year-round climate conditions, and more.

OASIS® AeroMax™ PlugTray, ideal for hydroponic cultivation in mild to moderate climates, excels at supporting crops, climates and systems with lower water demand. In contrast, OASIS® AeroSelect™ PlugTray targets water-demanding operational conditions; its higher water-holding capacity suits warmer climates, as well as crops and growing conditions with higher water demand — including finicky crops like spinach.

Vijay Rapaka, Ph.D., Oasis Grower Solutions Director of Global Grower Operations and Research, was lead scientist on the team that developed the core technology behind the new additions to OASIS® AeroSubstrates. He was also the driving force behind the Cradle-to-Grave Carbon Footprint Assessment that confirmed the engineered substrate technology’s remarkably low carbon footprint.

“Our purpose at Oasis Grower Solutions is to develop innovative solutions that solve problems for growers, from propagation and cultivation to sustainability,” Dr. Rapaka says. “With OASIS® AeroSubstrates, we brought precision growing into the root zone and made these next-generation substrates functional elements in the cultivation process. With new OASIS® AeroMax™ PlugTray and OASIS® AeroSelect™ PlugTray, both automated and manual growers of all sizes can now experience the benefits of these precision hydroponic substrates and grow more profitably and more sustainably.”

With labor-saving OASIS® AeroSubstrates, hydroponic growers enjoy optimal root zone water-to-air ratios, uniform germination, rapid root penetration, and unrestricted seedling growth. The ready-on-demand, preloaded plug trays prevent root tangling during propagation, eliminate root breakage and damage during transplant, and encourage superior post-transplant performance.

Dr. Rapaka adds, “Like our new OASIS® RhizoPlug™ Tray for vegetative floriculture propagation, these next-generation OASIS® AeroSubstrates for precision hydroponics also offer unprecedented cleanliness for hydroponic farmers. Food safe and free of pests and pathogens, they deliver a physically cleaner cultivation experience, from seeding through cultivation and harvest.”

OASIS® AeroMax™ PlugTray and OASIS® AeroSelect™ PlugTray engineered precision hydroponic substrates are available from national and international distributors in pre-dibbled and preloaded 72, 105, and 128 count single- and multi-seed plug trays. For more information, contact Oasis Grower Solutions at +1 (855) 585-4769 or visit the website at: www.oasisgrowersolutions.com.

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