Vertical farming and closed hydroponic systems are considered key technologies for sustainable food production. However, there are challenges regarding the efficient use of nutrients, avoidance of environmental pollution and continuous process monitoring. The project AutoNutri of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microtechnology and Microsystems aims to develop an innovative system for on-site monitoring and automated control of nutrients in hydroponic cultivation systems. For this purpose, the institute has developed a microfluidic chip that can be used to analyze the nutrient composition of the nutrient solution in real time and thus specifically adjust it.
Photo worth seeing: AutoNutri – Intelligent nutrient monitoring for sustainable hydroponics
By Elijah Burt