Rapid on-site nutrient analysis platform for controlled environment agriculture using microfluidics

Overview

This solution delivers rapid, on-site nutrient analysis for greenhouses, vertical farms, and other controlled environment agriculture operations. It replaces traditional laboratory testing and electrochemical probes with a portable, microfluidic-based system that measures multiple nutrients simultaneously in minutes rather than days. The technology enables growers to detect and correct nutrient imbalances quickly, reducing crop stress, optimizing fertilizer use, and minimizing waste from over- or under-fertilization.

The system is particularly valuable for operations that require strict monitoring of water quality and nutrient inputs to maintain consistent yield and prevent nutrient drift. By integrating hardware, chemistry, and a cloud-based data platform, the solution provides a complete workflow from sample collection to actionable insights.

Technical specifications

Core technology:

• Microfluidic cartridges with dry-coated colorimetric reagents for each nutrient assay
• CMOS-based spectrophotometric detection for simultaneous multi-parameter measurement
• Currently validated for macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S)
• Expansion planned to include micronutrients

Performance characteristics:

• Relative error of 5–10% across the working range when validated against a reference laboratory
• Relative standard deviation of 2–10% across the working range
• Tested on artificial irrigation water and plant sap solutions spiked with agricultural salts

Data and software:

• Automated data logging to a cloud database
• Dashboard visualization for tracking nutrient trends and deviations
• Designed to integrate with broader farm management and decision-support workflows

Known limitations and planned improvements:

• Current light source is being optimized to match specific wavelengths that yield the strongest chemical response
• Detector upgrade from broad-spectrum to monochromatic detection is planned
• Detection algorithm updates are planned to filter out background noise and improve accuracy

Technology readiness level

The technology has been validated in a laboratory setting using artificial irrigation water and plant sap solutions, with cross-validation performed against a reference laboratory showing acceptable accuracy and precision. The hardware, microfluidic cartridge design, dry reagent chemistry, calibration curves, and recovery testing using spiked samples have all been demonstrated.

The next stage of development involves an optimized hardware setup and a revised microfluidic cartridge to expand the nutrient panel to include micronutrients, followed by field validation in a commercial greenhouse environment. Planned field testing includes studying nutrient depletion in tomatoes over a full growing season, which will require access to a research greenhouse with technical support. The platform is approaching commercial readiness for macronutrient analysis while micronutrient capabilities remain in development.