I-Corps Teams: Integration of Non-Equilibrium Gliding Arc Plasma into Hydroponic Produce Growth Systems for Improved Crop Health and Added Nutrients

Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is a new standard of plant purity, which can have tremendous positive health consequences for the millions of worldwide consumers. The cold plasma water purification and enrichment technology, utilized in our proposed hydroponic system, can extend to other areas of agriculture as the antimicrobial chemicals produced in plasma rapidly kill pathogens and are safe for both plants and animals. The potential benefits stemming from this technology can help vertical farmers to eradicate food scarcity challenges in urban centers all over the world, powered by the sun's energy. Given the imminent, significant, and accelerating problems of agricultural sustainability and water conservation facing humanity, this technology has the potential to play a significant role in helping to preserve and sustain life on Earth as we know it. Additionally, the decrease in water volume needed for irrigation and the increased yield of plants treated with plasma-treated water also supports applications of plasma treatment in various farming and reforestation efforts. Finally, an ambitious goal for the company is to implement this technology in environments where resources other than electricity are extremely limited, such as long-term space missions. This I-Corps project will allow the company to better understand the needs of the company's potential customers and how plasma technology can offer solutions to the commercial agricultural market while providing technological insight to members of the hydroponic agriculture industry and opportunities for significant improvements to their existing agricultural systems and practices. Through these plasma technology commercialization efforts, the team envisions facilitating bigger, healthier, and more sustainable crop harvests for the modern farmer, while also reducing the volume of potentially harmful chemical additives, environmental damage, and wastefulness associated with current production methods. Current lab-scale research results are very promising, however, detailed analysis of the market and interviews with professional hydroponic farmers, industry experts, vendors, and customers are required to validate full-scale commercialization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.