Beyza and Diyar are two members of the Turkish Team Ceres, runners-up in The Earth Prize who created a new crop-boosting technology called Plantzma.
Euronews reported that the idea came from Beyza's reading on exoplanets, faraway planets orbiting stars other than the sun. "I was reading NASA's articles so much, and NASA has so much work about plasma and its wide range of uses," she told the publication.
Plasma is a state of matter like solid, liquid, and gas. It's what happens when a gas is so charged with energy that molecules can't hold onto their electrons. As Euronews pointed out, plasma is "rare on Earth but abundant in space."
Beyza, Diyar, and their team developed an ingenious way to use plasma in farming. Their Plantzma device does two things to help.
First, it treats seeds, creating microscopic cracks in their outer coatings. This makes it easier for the seeds to sprout, so more individual plants develop, increasing yields.
"In the direct treatment, we treat the seeds in a container with plasma before cultivation … and this increases the resistance to diseases, drought, and other environmental stressors," Diyar told Euronews.
Second, Plantzma can be used with water to turn it into an eco-friendly, nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
"In the indirect treatment, we treat irrigation water with plasma, enriching its properties to benefit plant growth," said Diyar. "That process turns the water into … plasma fertilizer which supplies essential nutrients for the plant and stimulates fruit and vegetables."
That kind of help is sorely needed since Turkey is being severely affected by the Earth's rising temperature and the extreme weather that follows.
"Our idea for Plantzma originated from the agricultural challenges we observed in our community and family," said Beyza. "Many people we know work in agriculture. … They face significant issues due to drought and crop failure — there has been a 40% decline in precipitation rates, leading to an 80% crop loss."
But a single Plantzma device, which costs roughly $190, can reduce fertilizer use by 40% while still preventing 60% of crop loss, Euronews said.
The team intentionally designed its product for use in even the poorest areas of the world.
"The solution can be implemented anywhere in the world where agriculture is [prevalent], including many places that don't have access to modern technologies," said Beyza.
The team is trying to raise funding to achieve that. Meanwhile, Diyar is starting a major in electrical engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi, while Beyza intends to major in environmental engineering and political science.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Cool Picks
