The goal of the project is to verify the properties and quality of our more sustainable and renewable soilless growing media formulations. We have a mission to create a growing medium with a far lower environmental footprint than the status quo peat based growing mediums. We want to accomplish this by using Typha or Cattails that absorb agricultural and human waste nutrient pollutants from watersheds, mitigating eutrophication downstream in lakes and other water bodies. Harvesting and repurposing Typha has been shown to successfully remove significant amounts of pollutant N and P from water systems by taking it out of the system. Harvested wetlands have also been shown to continue to grow to full health year after year.

Typha, while having benefits such as a high nutrient content, has some shortcomings compared to the standard growing media ingredients in industry practice. Your job will be to quantify these shortcomings and benefits of Typha through simple tests and a growing trial. 

For the majority of the project, the student will perform growing trials on our formulations of growing media. This will take place at the University of Manitoba SIAF using a hydroponic grow wall stationed there. You will be in charge of:

• Designing the growing trial given the formulations and growing infrastructure provided as a learning experience (We can provide examples and advice)
• Monitoring the plants by performing a series of tests such as pH, electrical conductivity, plant height, and spread
• Ensuring proper water and fertilization is applied to the plants
• Finally you will be asked to organize these results and make any suggestions based on your experience with the trial and your prior knowledge to improve the growing media formulations

Deliver final report on lessons learned, data analysis, and task performed to be submitted on the riipen platform

• Ability to order supplies needed to facilitate the project
• Willing to contact and set up meetings with experts in the field to help with learning and to improve the success of the project
• Consistent weekly or bi-weekly check ins to gauge progress and aid with road blocks
• Availability with fast response on google chat, email or phone to resolve any issues and provide advice