Extended use and optimization of struvite in hydroponic cultivation systems

Hydroponic systems are an attractive form of urban agriculture due to their low weight load, inert substrate conditions, and overall better control plant nutrition growth. However, gaining food sovereignty cannot be at the cost increasing environmental impacts, such as eutrophication nonrenewable resource depletion, associated with phosphorus fertilizer use. Struvite, a wastewater byproduct, is potential slow-releasing P source that can serve substitute for mineral fertilizer. In this study, we explored adequacy struvite in hydroponic systems, testing different quantities (5 g, 10 g 20 per plant) compared monopotassium phosphate pepper lettuce production. The results show competitive productions both crops use struvite, especially during first harvest (225.5 249.9 272.6 250 5 control, respectively) where greater dissolution was seen. Although all treatments phosphorous content biomass, yields do not deviate greatly from (3.6 kg, 4.3 7.5 kg 5.3 respectively). performance showed reduction impact categories, freshwater scarcity, except marine eutrophication. All categories were reduced struvite. When extrapolated full year production, find slow sustain production initial less