Many crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, strawberries, raspberries and ornamental flowers are often grown using hydroponics, where fertiliser for the growing plants is supplied in the irrigation water.
Hydroponic farming produces excellent quality crops with good efficiency but there is an opportunity to improve the method by continuously monitoring and controlling the fertiliser components in the irrigation water.
This InnovateUK project aims to enable better control over the use of nitrate-nitrogen, which is an important component of the hydroponic feed.
A new sensor, which can be used to continuously measure the nitrate concentration in irrigation water, has been deployed at commercial hydroponic farms, allowing continuous monitoring of nitrate-nitrogen for the first time.
The potential for expected benefits, including reductions in fertiliser use and cost are being evaluated in this project, which is now nearing completion.
For more information, contact us on 07970 997039.
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