At AeroGrow, one of the first assignments I was given was to look into an organic liquid nutrient solution for hydroponics that is water-soluble. There isn't currently anything on the market that works well and doesn't contain a horrible stench. AeroGrows current nutrient solution isn’t water soluble and is something that needs to be shaken a lot before use, and this apparently annoys customers. I ordered many samples of different products/solutions that I thought could be beneficial towards this goal, and I tested them to see which ones could work and which ones would not. First thing I did was to try to obtain samples of nutrient products that claimed to be OMRI listed and water-soluble. I started off with a nutrient called RAW nutrient, which I initially tested and although the the plants grew, the nutrient congealed and smelled horrible, so it was deemed a fail. I used the RAW Grow, which is pictured to the right. It is not OMRI listed, but it was good to start off with in order to compare a nutrient that isn't OMRI listed to ones that are. The picture below contains data that I recorded from the RAW Grow test, I had a control going with AeroGrows current nutrient and then the RAW. I calculated germination and pH, and also recorded notes regarding the smell and look of the water in the hydroponic system.
I was also able to attain nutrients from Biostar (NPK is 6-0-0), Purely Organic (14-0-0), On-Gard (5-0-0), and and Ferti-Organic (13.62-0-0). Those numbers stand for the NPK of a substance, or the amount of Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous. Biostar is directly below, On-Gard is to the right, Purely Organic is below Biostar, and Ferti-Organic is below On-Gard.
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On top of getting Nitrogen solutions that are OMRI listed and water-soluble, I also had to find the other 15 micro-nutrients that plants need to be able to grow efficiently. I started out with obtaining Potassium, below and to the left, and Phosphorous, below and to the right, with the intention of them both being OMRI listed and water-soluble. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a OMRI listed Phosphorous, so I just used a water-soluble one to start. The other 13 nutrients are Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulfur (S), Boron (B), Chlorine (CI), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), and Zinc (Zn). I was able to find a couple different seaweed extracts that contain the necessary micros for plant growth, and I created a chart comparing our nutrient to the seaweed sources. AeroGrows nutrient is about a 4-3-6 on the NPK scale, with all the needed micronutrients. The Ferti-Organic Seaweed is below the Potassium, and Neptunes Seaweed is below the Phosphorous. I also attached a sheet with the different micronutrients included in our nutrient, which has two pictures located below Neptunes Seaweed, compared to the seaweeds located below the Ferti-Organic Seaweed.
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After receiving all of the products, the next step was to figure out the dilutions necessary for the test to start. Each of the solutions needed to be diluted so that they would eventually be close to the amounts that are included in AeroGrows current nutrient. I worked with another intern named Luke to achieve this part, there was a lot of math involved. The optimal amount for the nitrogen sources was a NPK of 4-3-6, with all the other 13 nutrients varying in number. Eventually, we were both able to come up with dilutions for all the products, and we created one for the nutrient source On-Gard. We then started testing the On-Gard and recorded it everyday. The other tests are planned to happen after the summer. The pictures below, in order, are the main dilution page, Biostar, Purely Organic, Ferti-Nitro, and On-Gard.
Luke and I started this test with the On-Gard, and eventually had to restart the test because the sample congealed and grew mold. We pasteurized the product to remove bacteria and then we started again. The image to the right is of the pasteurized product. This test is still in session and the other ones should be beginning soon since all the math is figured out. The image below is of the data recorded from this test that Luke and I started, it contains the pH and number of germinations. The optimal pH would be around 6-6.5 and would not contain any mold or stench.
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I spent time creating something that is beneficial to my company, and also by creating this, could benefit many other people using hydroponic equipment. I learned so much throughout this experiment. I learned about NPK values and their importance to the right amount of each included in the solution. I also learned various rules about OMRI listed substances, for I had to make sure I followed the guidelines. By conducting this evidence piece, I was able to learn more about nutrient solutions and how they can be made water soluble, which I hadn’t even learned about in my Organic Chemistry class. Working on the dilutions for the products also reinforced certain math skills needed to start the tests. I am happy to have contributed to something that hasn't been invented yet; a working water-soluble OMRI listed nutrient source for hydroponics.