This episode is part of our “What Plants Crave” series, where Dr. Sabeh speaks with growers, researchers, engineers, and manufacturers who work in controlled environment agriculture, to get their insights about the direction of the industry, and of course, what exactly it is that plants crave.
This week’s episode features Nico Augsberger. Nico is the Head of Sales in North America for iyris. His background is in environmental science and innovation, where his graduate research focused on the treatment of wastewater intended for agricultural reuse. Upon completion of his graduate studies at KAUST, he joined the iyris team in 2021 (then Red Sea Farms) to support in product development and market research. As the SecondSky nanomaterial began demonstrating positive effects across a range of crops and conditions, Nico’s role evolved from product to business development. Nico has supported the set-up and execution of global manufacturing relationships and product trials, with a focus on the Americas. As of 2024, Nico leads the sales effort in the Americas as iyris continues to expand its impact across crops and geographies.
Outside of work, Nico enjoys planning local nature hikes with his wife and kids, baking sourdough bread, and playing tennis.
This week’s episode features Emma Menden. Emma is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona Biosystems Engineering graduate program. Her master’s thesis is entitled “Fusarium Wilt of Lettuce Commercial Cultivar Variety Trial”. Emma was born in Virginia, where she completed an associate degree in civil engineering before transferring to the University of Arizona to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Biosystems Engineering. Her primary interests are controlled environment agriculture, vertical farming, global food systems, food accessibility, and science communication.
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