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Company Profile Evoponic Ltd is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of unique and effective products for hydroponic growth systems. Using decades of industry knowledge, Evoponic has developed a variety of biostimulants and nutrient mixes. These are designed to improve the growth rates and performance of crops and plants grown indoors without soil, often using organically based ingredients to elicit results, varying from stress tolerance to improved flowering. The Project The future of food production needs to change drastically from our current practices; we won’t be able to continue to expand our agricultural land outwards without destroying precious natural habitat – instead, we must grow upwards. Currently hydroponic systems are highly productive, but very energy intensive. Evoponic Ltd’s biostimulants, when combined with an optimised natural light growing system, could help to overcome some of the limitations presented to these systems by high-energy temperature and light maintenance systems. The project aims to reduce carbon emissions through reducing energy requirements for temperature maintenance, as well as reducing reliance on high-energy lighting rigs and additionally reducing the need for CO2 supplementation, whilst quantifying the nutritional and growth impacts on crops. Anna Gardiner-Piggott Anna graduated from the University of Manchester with a 2:1 in Plant Science. After discovering her passion for sustainable food production, she began to work with an indoor agricultural company whilst completing her degree – a path which eventually led her to her unexpected but deeply loved PhD project Academic Supervisors Dr Gabriella Toledo-Ortiz Professor Martin McAinsh Evoponic Ltd