The Hydrosac is a patent pending multiponic system designed by the Phytoponics team that combines functions of hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics and aquaculture in one low cost, flexible and easy to use device. We believe the Hydrosac will impact global agriculture greatly through lowering the cost of entry to highly productive and efficient hydroponic agriculture significantly, with low training requirements for a developing workforce.

The Hydrosac works through containing a oxygenated nutrient solution in a flexible plastic body, with a porous growing platform suspended over integrated flotation chambers supporting seeds, plants and shrubs. The bubbles forming from the integrated aerator rise up and burst at the surface of the nutrient solution, spraying a light mist onto the underside of the porous growing platform. This action irrigates the plants without causing root rot due to the constant 10cm air gap formed by inflatable chambers resting on nutrient solution. Water roots then penetrate down and thrive in the oxygenated nutrient solution, receiving optimal water and nutrients for heavy growth. In this system, both small, large and huge crops can be grown with or without support, opening new Hydroponic opportunities for shrubs, dwarf trees and even aquaculture such as fish, shrimp and crustaceans in the body of water.

This product was designed based on an extensive ethnography of existing hydroponic farmers using high cost and complex products, and also developing world communities swiftly adapting to grow the best crop for market returns. A farmer could swiftly change the crops between harvest with the Hydrosac to suit seasonal prices, and even switch from plants to shrimp or fish as to what is needed most. As well as opening new crop opportunities, we can help more farmers access 20 times the market returns of open field farming with the Hydrosac as it is much cheaper than competitor technologies of NFT, Raft Hydroponics and Aeroponics (due to low cost flexible plastic design), and more simple and productive than similar costing rockwoll systems (due to water and nutrient rich deep water culture).

We have validated the hydroponic method used in the Hydrosac and found local manufacturers who can produce both our prototypes for trials and initial production runs for reasonable cost. We want to show the world the power of hydroponics and aquaculture in the Hydrosac but we need your help in learning about and sharing technology for us to find early adopters and secure the next funding round to launch our product.

Phytoponics has a vision that global agriculture will change from large land and resource inefficient open field farming methods to smaller and intensive greenhouse hydroponics that can produce more food with less land and less resources, shielded the environment. With such a change, less land is needed for agriculture, freeing up land for reforestation, housing and rewilding, halting the loss of global biodiversity and land shortages. We hope you join us and support us in our movement to help us create the future in sustainable agriculture.