Air, Electricity, and Insects: A New Recipe for Plant Nutrition?
By Pamela Andrade, University of California, Davis Greenhouse and nursery producers operate under constant pressure to deliver uniform, high-quality plants on predictable production schedules. Whether producing bedding plants, ornamentals, or vegetable transplants, growers depend on reliable inputs, especially growing media and nitrogen fertilizers, to maintain crop performance. However, in recent years, both of these foundational inputs have come under increasing scrutiny due to environmental concerns, rising costs, and supply chain vulnerability. Nitrogen remains the primary driver of plant productivity across horticultural systems. Adequate nitrogen supports vegetative growth, canopy development, and overall plant quality. Yet the global nitrogen fertilizer system is both energy-intensive and vulnerable to disruption. Most synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are produced through the Haber–Bosch process, which converts atmospheric nitrogen…