Topsy-Turvy

The Topsy-Turvy wreaks havoc with my sense of efficiency and reason. Will someone please explain the logic behind this device? I promise I will listen. Maybe disagree and even argue, and also listen.

My issues with Topsy-Turvy tomato (or whatever) growing:

Phototropism. As a result of a complex series of chemical reactions, the shoots (stuff aboveground) of plants grow toward the light, i.e. upward. Of course, this kind of growth costs the plant in terms of energy. Energy that the plant could use in growth or reproduction (and therefore fruiting, which we like) is instead used in orienting itself toward the light, which is necessary in order for the plant to obtain more energy.

Gravitropism. Similarly to phototropism, plants' roots grow toward gravitational force, or downward. Since plants absorb water through their roots, this downward mobility benefits the plant by providing it with easier access to water, which also moves toward the earth. At the same time, gravitropism results in the shoot's growth away from gravitational force: again, upward.

Combined, these two phenomena assist the plant to make efficient use of its two most important resources, light and water. When grown upside-down, as in a Topsy-Turvy, the plant is not capable of "turning off" these mechanisms. It continues to grow the way it has evolved to grow, in a world with gravity always at the root and light always at the shoot--until we, tinkering humans that we are, decided to defy the marvelous systems plants have spent millenia refining. Why is it necessary or more efficient to require plants to perform bizarre acrobatics in order to fulfill their basic needs, when they have the ability to acquire what they need so gracefully?

According to the Topsy-Turvy folks at their website, the Topsy-Turvy induces greater growth because "...water and nutrients pour directly from the roots to the fruit...." Wha...? In reality, water and nutrients must travel up the roots and back down the shoot in order to reach the fruit. Incidentally, water no more pours through a plant's vascular system than my blood pours to my head during a (wall-assisted!) handstand. This is a good thing.