Making the right choice in substrates

It's been four years now since Oasis AeroMax PlugSheet hit the market as the first substrate in the Oasis AeroSubstrates line. Since then, it's been joined by Oasis AeroSelect PlugSheet, as well as automation-ready, singulated plug versions: Oasis AeroMax PlugTray and Oasis AeroSelect PlugTray.

Developed in response to demonstrated needs of hydroponic growers, these precision substrate innovations solve problems that Oasis Horticubes and Oasis Horticubes XL don't — and they're more durable and resilient.

Inspired by the best attributes of these CEA staples, Oasis Grower Solutions research team reached higher to create a new generation of substrate technology. A technology to provide CEA growers with real-world substrate solutions that speak to your specific crops, climates, growing environments, sustainability goals — and future.

Oasis Horticubes vs. Oasis AeroSubstrates
As the next generation of Oasis Horticubes, Oasis AeroMax substrate is ideal for crops and conditions with lower water demand. This substrate targets higher latitudes, temperate climates, and indoor cultivation. Maximized air porosity and a drier substrate surface minimize algae formation, too.

Oasis AeroSelect substrate represents an evolution from Oasis Horticubes XL. This next-gen substrate answers the call of conditions and crops (including spinach) with higher water demand or warmer seasonal or year-round climates with optimized water-holding capacity and air porosity.

In performance evaluations at Oasis' Research, Innovation & Development (RI&D) facility in Kent, Ohio, USA, lettuce told the story. Oasis AeroMax and Oasis AeroSelect promoted more uniform germination, more fibrous root development, and more shoot growth compared to their respective predecessors.

© OASIS Grower Solutions

Precision hydroponics within reach
There are also other ways that Oasis AeroMax and Oasis AeroSelect substrates outperform their predecessors and competitors. These labor-saving substrates support cleaner, safer, more efficient cultivation from seeding to harvest in the following ways and more:

Oasis AeroSubstrates ship dry and inert. This benefits you in three ways: Lower shipping costs, easier storage, and total flexibility for crop steering and precision nutrient regimens.

Oasis AeroSubstrates ship clean and stay clean. The production process includes two kill steps, and the very low water activity on the finished product does not support any human or plant pathogenic growth when stored as recommended. These minimize food safety concerns. The SOPs include thorough inspection of shipping containers to prevent contamination risks.

Oasis AeroSubstrates are a sustainable choice. An independent third-party Carbon Footprint Assessment confirmed it: The cradle-to-grave CO2 equivalent emissions of OASIS AeroMax were 43.5 times lower than pressed peat and 12.5 times lower than Oasis' own peat-based stabilized plug.