Plant Production with Fertilizer-Containing Polymers

Fertilizer-Containing Polymers: Plant Production from Space Farming to Ship Cultivation As humanity continues its search for new worlds, one of the most important parameters for human habitation in extraterrestrial regions is the presence of water. While humans conduct research in extraterrestrial regions, one of the most critical problems researchers face is accessing nutritional sources. Astronauts and scientists conducting research outside Earth are developing new methods to meet their most basic needs—water, air, and food—over extended periods. The concept of soilless agriculture is actually a new technology initially known as space farming, offering potential use in regions without gravity and experiencing water scarcity. Soilless agriculture technologies provide new possibilities for production in environments without gravity, supplying nutritional sources, and generating resources needed for nutrition in extraterrestrial regions. The greatest problem here is that water used in soilless farming cannot be kept stable due to the absence of gravity. One of the most important materials that can solve this problem is polymeric materials with very high water-retention capacity. Polymeric materials are long-chain structures composed of repeating units and containing multiple units at the molecular level. As a field of application, polymeric materials are produced and used in many different sectors—from non-stick cookware to insulation materials, plastic products, medical devices, and phone cases. We are working to develop polymeric materials in laboratory settings in forms that could be beneficial, providing value to nature and humans, and conducting research and development in this field. Particularly considering that plastics accumulating in nature cause pollution and their polymer content, we want to develop products that could, conversely, be beneficial—usable in diagnosis and treatment in the healthcare field and offering ecological contribution. Through this journey undertaken for this purpose, thanks to data and experiences we have obtained, we have developed plastic-type polymeric materials carrying nutrient content for nature. As a result of our laboratory research, it has become possible to synthesize porous polymeric materials containing nutrient components that plants will need and with quite high water-retention capacity. Thanks to these materials, from the moment seedlings come into contact with the material, they will be able to directly access the necessary nutrients and obtain the moisture and nutrients they need from within the material. Through fertilizer-containing polymers synthesized and produced in polymer disc form, plants can be grown with very little water. When the fertilizer-containing polymeric material is placed in baskets in soilless farming systems and comes into contact with water, it swells and enables the plant's required nutrients to be released gradually and allows the plant to obtain the nutritional substances needed for feeding. Together with this characteristic, the field of application can be considered in a much broader framework. For example, for yacht, boat, and ship-type marine travel areas where people must travel for very long periods, soilless farming systems and fertilizer-containing polymeric materials are quite valuable. In these areas, thanks to soilless farming products and the developed fertilizer-containing polymeric material, people will be able to access and produce various plant-based sources they desire during their travel periods. Some large yachts even design grass areas to add a garden atmosphere. These areas themselves are greened in three days through the combination of both technologies. When reviewing literature on space farming, it is mentioned as hydroponic systems developed in the space farming field, and in soilless agriculture technologies that do not contain soil, the absence of gravity is one of the greatest problems, just as it is in other conditions of space life. For this reason, through efficient use of water in soilless farming systems and energy-efficient soilless farming systems, researchers conducting space exploration are provided with nutritional needs, while conditions for life in space are being studied. Among the greatest problems in space life conditions are the absence of water and oxygen. Through soilless agriculture, oxygen supply can be provided by growing plants, and with 95 percent efficient water use, reserves can be managed consumption. The problem of gravity that is an issue in space life also exists in soilless farming systems. This problem is solved by researchers through closed-loop water circulation. This way, farming can be done in space with closed-loop systems and plants can be grown. Normally, on space voyages or research programs, travels are undertaken with heavy stocks to meet food needs over long periods and continued with food supplements. Just as in yacht and boat voyages, travels are continued with nutritional supplements. Thanks to the fertilizer-containing polymeric material developed in the laboratory environment, structures such as fiber and sponge used in the soilless farming sector can be removed from the process, and improved fertilizer-containing polymeric materials can be used going forward. But what benefits will this provide and what are today's risks, and what solution will we offer to them—let us take a look at these. At a time when world population has increased 3.8 times in the last 100 years and global soil fertility has declined with the climate crisis, global water crises are expected by 2050. With soilless farming systems, we are talking about a system that is 2.5 times faster and provides 95 percent water efficiency and is unaffected by climate conditions. Globally, soilless farming production is expected to increase from 1.56 million to 3.04 million. Here we have a polymeric material that will be used in this system and can be used by plants as a nutrient. With these vertically designable systems and modular systems, shelving can be used up to 30 times, and this provides the opportunity to conduct serious production even in small areas. Supported by sensors, this system can quickly detect nutrient, moisture, and temperature requirements and can be remotely controlled with a fully automated system. This systemic data can reach people's mobile phones as information through IoT technology and people can intervene in the system with Industry 4.0. Normally, soilless agriculture has a system that provides up to 95 percent water efficiency, but the fertilizer-containing polymeric materials we developed in the laboratory can swell and grow to nearly twice their normal size due to their water-retention capacity, and due to this characteristic, the soilless farming system that has 95 percent water efficiency will be able to provide greater efficiency with these fertilizer-containing polymeric materials that will be used with it. Besides this, since there is no soil in soilless farming, there are no pests, which provides the opportunity to farm without using pesticides. Only the nutrients the plant will need are present in the environment. Thanks to the fertilizer-containing polymeric material we have developed in our laboratory, all the nutrient substances the plant will need are contained within this polymer material. Thus, vibration, pests, the absence of water, or the location of production lose their importance. The developed technology, through the combination of soilless farming system production and fertilizer-containing polymers, provides not only the opportunity to produce nutritional sources wherever they are needed, but also to do so in a manner beneficial to nature, efficient, and without additives. This technology enables people on long journeys to grow plant-based products they need using fertilizer-containing polymeric material in a more practical, more efficient manner that can also benefit the world. Among the types of nutrients produced in soilless farming systems, besides the most commonly consumed product groups such as tomatoes, green onions, carrots, eggplant, broccoli, parsley, lettuce, arugula, cucumber, and strawberries, there are approximately 190 types. For plant nutrients to reach nutrients in vertically installed systems, water circulation is ensured as a closed loop, through which plant nutrients are transferred into the water. At the stage where fertilizer-containing polymeric materials are used, seeds are placed inside the fertilizer-containing polymeric material, and after the germination phase, the plant obtains its nutrients directly through contact with the fertilizer-containing material. Thus, the system becomes active after reaching nutrients and begins photosynthesis, and the growth process occurs rapidly. Looking at the installation process, in vertical or horizontal systems, first seeds are placed within the fertilizer-containing polymeric material and the germination process begins in a moist, dark environment. Following the germination process, the light system is activated, the photosynthesis process begins, and plant growth occurs. After this stage, plants continue their growth by accessing nutrients contained in water. In space farming, this technology operates through closed-loop systems with the transfer of water and the transfer of nutrient content. Since similar conditions exist in the yacht field, the movement of water in an open system is not much preferred, and nutrient access processes can be completed with closed-loop systems and fertilizer-containing polymeric material. Due to vibrations occurring at sea, the movement and spillage of water in soilless farming systems will be prevented with fertilizer-containing polymeric material, and just as in space farming, through closed-loop systems, desired plant-based resources can be produced in a more comfortable and efficient manner.   References • Kitaya, Y., Hirai, H., Wei, X., Islam, A. F. M. S., & Yamamoto, M. (2008). Growth of sweetpotato cultured in the newly designed hydroponic system for space farming. Advances in Space Research, 41(5), 730-735. • Monje, O., Stutte, G. W., Goins, G. D., Porterfield, D. M., & Bingham, G. E. (2003). Farming in space: environmental and biophysical concerns. Advances in Space Research, 31(1), 151-167. • Shrivastava, A., Nayak, C. K., Dilip, R., Samal, S. R., Rout, S., & Ashfaque, S. M. (2023). Automatic robotic system design and development for vertical hydroponic farming using IoT and big data analysis. Materials Today: Proceedings, 80, 3546-3553. • Son, J. E., Kim, H. 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