Every year, Missouri farmers lose millions of dollars in valuable nutrients that wash away into rivers and lakes. Those nutrients — nitrates and phosphates found in fertilizers — are crucial for plant growth, but they wreak havoc on aquatic life when they end up in waterways.
Researcher in search of smarter sensor
University of Missouri researcher Matthias Young believes he’s found a way to keep the nutrients on land where they belong. He’s developing a technique that could lead to new types of sensors to help farmers better measure nitrates and phosphates in the soil, allowing them to use fertilizers more efficiently.





