Agriculture technology startup Fyto has developed an automated system that grows a high-protein aquatic plant, Lemna, using nitrogen-rich wastewater from dairy farms, according to MIT News. The approach addresses waste management, input costs, and sustainability challenges in livestock operations.
Founded by former MIT Tata Centre research director Jason Prapas, Fyto grows Lemna in shallow pools on underused land. Large robotic systems monitor plant health, optimise yields, and harvest the crop. Lemna is used as cattle feed or plant-based fertiliser.
Fyto’s system reduces land, water, and labour needs while helping manage nitrogen waste, a major greenhouse gas source. The company has piloted the system on US farms and is scaling from 50 to 160 feet wide. It holds a fertiliser license and awaits feed approval in California.
Lemna, also called duckweed, doubles in biomass every two days and produces more protein per acre than soy. Fyto plans to sell systems directly to farmers and extend to poultry and food production waste streams.
Prapas launched Fyto in 2019 after roles at MIT and startup incubator Factor[e] Ventures. “We’re creating a new farming method,” he said. “Our system can grow crops on nearly any organic waste.”
Fyto will release new fertiliser products this year and is exploring broader global use for its crop production model.