SBIR Phase I: Accelerated Growth of Hydroponic Lettuce for Greenhouse and Indoor Farmers

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善绿叶蔬菜的水培生产。在室内水培法种植食物可以生产当地种植的蔬菜，很少或不使用农药或除草剂。一个关键的挑战是基于农场规模的作物产量限制。该项目将推动一种肥料的发展，在现有的空间和设备下，这种肥料可以再增长10%到20%。它将在不影响环境的情况下增加作物产量，从而对全球农业产生影响。SBIR一期项目将探索转化一种用于肥料的三硫化物生产的创新方法。任务包括开发一种简单的，一步合成的肥料，从廉价的，商业上可用的原料。进一步的工作包括研究合成参数，以开发500克规模的工艺，然后进一步探索最终工业生产的参数空间。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potnetial of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve hydroponic production of leafy greens. Growing food indoors hydroponically produces locally grown vegetables with minimal or no pesticide or herbicide use. A key challenge is the limitation on crop volume based on farm size. This project will advance a fertilizer that can grow an additional 10 to 20% more with current space and equipment. It will have an impact on global farming by increasing crop volume without environmental impact. This SBIR Phase I project will explore translation of an innovative method for trisulfide production for use in fertilizers. Tasks include development of a simple, one-step synthesis of the fertilizer from inexpensive, commercially available starting materials. Further work includes investigation of synthesis parameters for development of a process at the 500 g scale, then further exploration of the parameter space for eventual industrial production.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.