BOZEMAN - Researchers at Montana State University are developing new technology they hope will make hydroponic farming safer and more reliable for farmers in Montana and beyond.
The project, backed by a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aims to detect and remove harmful microorganisms from hydroponic systems before they can destroy an entire crop.
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Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using water and nutrient-rich solutions instead.
The system allows crops such as tomatoes, lettuce and herbs to be grown year-round, making it especially attractive in places with harsh winters.
"If you think about our harsh winters here, it is really beneficial for Montana if we move more and more into hydroponic systems," said Stephan Warnat, a researcher at Montana State University.
Warnat, whose work focuses on developing sensors and automated systems, said hydroponic farming could help address some of Montana's growing challenges.
"We have really dry soil, which can make it really challenging for us, and hydroponic systems, we just need a water system where we can grow different crops like tomatoes, lettuce, or herbs," he said.
While hydroponic farming offers year-round production, it also presents unique risks. Because the crops share a circulating water system, harmful bacteria can spread quickly and wipe out an entire harvest.
"If there are some harmful microorganisms occurring you can ruin your entire crop," Warnat said.
To address that challenge, researchers are developing a system that can automatically detect harmful microorganisms and remove them before they damage plants.
"These nanoparticles capture those microorganisms, and from there we build a huge, big ball of those microorganisms which we can filter out afterwards," Warnat said.
Part of the research is taking place in MSU's Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, where students and faculty are working to develop technology they hope will eventually be practical for farmers to use in their own operations.
"We would teach them to make that interpretation of the data, but that is the final goal that I have to help our farmers here in Montana," said Warnat.
Although the research is centered in Bozeman, Warnat believes the technology could have applications far beyond Montana, including urban agriculture.
"Bigger cities where you find these hydroponic systems on rooftops of skyscrapers," he said.
Ultimately, Warnat said the project's mission is to strengthen food production by helping farmers protect their crops from harmful bacteria.
"I really hope we can take these systems and bring them to our farmers here in Montana, to our beautiful state of Montana," Warnat said. "That is part of our land grant mission, that of Montana State University, that we help our farmers here."
