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$3.4 million in funding announced for a project that aims to reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse crop production
A team of Polytechnique Montréal researchers is working on a sustainable alternative to address a problem that is at the root of 1 to 2% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide: they plan to develop a fertilizer with no carbon footprint. In an announcement today, the federal government confirmed that the project will receive $3.4 million in funding via the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The technology being developed as part of the PLANET project will enable greenhouse-vegetable growers to reduce their carbon footprints as well as limit fungicide use. (Source: Gen V)
Whether they’re grown in fields or greenhouses, the fruits and vegetables we eat come at an environmental cost, which is not limited to the energy required to heat greenhouses or transport produce as far as our tables. Production of chemical fertilizers, especially ammonia, is also a major contributor to GHG emissions.
According to 2019 estimates, ammonia production plants account for 1.4% of overall CO2 emissions; they are also responsible for around 1% of global energy consumption. The culprit: the Haber-Bosch Process, which was discovered in the early 20th century and revolutionized agriculture, but is extremely fossil-fuel-intensive.
An alternative being developed at Polytechnique, however, could mean that growers will no longer need these chemical fertilizers.
Cold plasma to the rescue for greenhouses
 Professor Stephan Reuter (Credit : Polytechnique Montréal)
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With the project—dubbed PLANET—now underway, Stephan Reuter, full professor in the Polytechnique Department of Engineering Physics, hopes to provide greenhouse vegetable growers with an alternative solution that relies on cold plasma.
The project is among 16 initiatives that are the subject of a funding announcement made today by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The grants aim at accelerating the development of solutions to support a sustainable agriculture and agri-food sector in a net-zero economy. PLANET will be receiving $3.4 million in funding over four years.
In addition to Professor Reuter, the project involves myriad specialists from Polytechnique Montréal and other institutions. Emilia Bédard, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Jason R. Tavares and Guillaume Majeau-Bettez, respectively full professor and associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Frédéric Sirois, full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and Michael Wertheimer, professor emeritus in the Department of Engineering Physics, are team members, along with Caroline Côté and Richard Hogue of the Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement (IRDA), Martine Dorais of Université Laval, Mary K. Doidge and Aurélie Harou of McGill University, and Michaela Skulinova of technology transfer centre Cintech. Greenhouse vegetable producer Cultures Gen V, Les Producteurs en serre du Québec (the provincial association of greenhouse growers), Growcer Modular Food Solutions, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and AquaPoly, a Polytechnique student technical club, round out the long list of project partners.
“Teaming up with specialists who have complementary expertise is vital, so as to maximize the impact of our research and also to make sure we work with stakeholders in the field to adapt our technology to their needs,” Professor Reuter notes. “Cold plasma has enormous potential to transform agriculture, but it requires a keen understanding of the underlying mechanisms, both microbiological and physical-chemical. This pooling of knowledge will enable us to develop truly sustainable solutions for the agriculture of tomorrow.”
ObjectiVE: SCALE-UP
Exposing air and water to electrical charges provokes chemical reactions that generate several molecules with antiseptic properties, among them ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric acid (HNO3). The process also enables the production of nitrate (NO3-), a prime source of nitrogen for plants. (Image: Professor Reuter’s laboratory)
Cold plasma is a state of matter created by electrical fields that transform the molecules present in air and water. Incorporating a source of cold plasma into hydroponic basins in a greenhouse has two outcomes that offer high potential for growers. A nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which plants can absorb, is produced locally, while the process also generates molecules that attack pathogenic fungi.
“By properly tweaking the parameters, we can generate the molecules that are most effective for both these actions,” Professor Reuter explains. “This means we can envision not only eliminating the use of conventional nitrogen fertilizers, but also limiting the use of fungicides.”
The Polytechnique Montréal team has already been testing its approach for more than three years. With this new funding, they plan to scale up the technology so that it can meet the needs of both smaller and larger hydroponic greenhouses.
Learn more
Professor Stephan Reuter's expertise
Professor Reuter's laboratory website
Departement of Engineering Physics website
