An Optimal Hybridized Design Methodology for a Solid-State Fermenter: Safe Pesticide Alternatives Using Microbes

Crop Defenders, our industrial partner grows a high-value type of fungi that can kill crop pests without harming or poisoning the crops. This type of fungus is currently being grown in a manual and labor-intensive process. The aim is to automate this manual process to drastically increase the company’s productivity. By doing so, Crop Defenders expects to lower their cost per acre 10-fold and be able to sell to field-farmers as well as greenhouses. The first step towards automating the process will be achieved by designing a solid-state fermenter or bioreactor where the environmental conditions needed for the fungi to grow can be observed and controlled. The first stage of this project aims to develop a conceptual design for this instrument up to the embodiment stag

Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmed Azab

Student:

Syed Mohammad Saqib;Abdelrahman Amer

Partner:

Crop Defenders

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Windsor