Sustainable nitrogen supply in greenhouse horticulture
Replacing conventional nitrogen in fertilizers with a more sustainable alternative is an important step towards circular agriculture. VitalFluid tested the use of natural nitrogen, produced via plasma-activated water, as a substitute for traditional nitrogen sources in cucumber cultivation. This research focuses on the feasibility and effectiveness of this innovative fertilization technology.
Innovation package, use case, and type of trial
Open Field Cultivation
Plasma4Agrifood
Menu card category
Technical functionality
Broad research question
Can natural nitrogen replace conventional nitrogen in cucumber cultivation?
The cultivation of vegetables such as cucumbers requires nitrogen as an essential nutrient. This project investigates whether plasma-activated water, produced by the VitalFluid Freya unit, can be a viable alternative to nitrogen from traditional fertilizers.
Approach
Measurements at a pig farm in Liessel
At Kwekerij ’t Bleekerven, cucumbers were cultivated using:
Conventional nitrogen from standard fertilizers
Natural nitrogen from plasma-activated water
The two cultivation methods were compared based on:
Yield and product quality
Water quality (pH, EC, cations, anions)
Shelf life and visual assessment
Dry matter content
The collected data was analyzed by Wageningen Research.
Goal
Determining the effectiveness of natural nitrogen
The aim of this study was to determine whether natural nitrogen from plasma water can be an equivalent substitute for traditional nitrogen fertilizers. The results contribute to the understanding of the potential of this technology within greenhouse horticulture.
Results and reflection
Comparable yield and quality with sustainable nitrogen
The trial results show that the use of natural nitrogen had no negative impact on the yield and quality of cucumbers.
Successes:
The yield and product quality of cucumbers grown with natural nitrogen were comparable to those from conventional cultivation.
The nitrogen from plasma-activated water proved to be a full-fledged substitute for traditional nitrogen fertilizers.
Lessons learned:
Further research can help determine the long-term effects and broader applicability in other crops.