Every year, Missouri farmers lose millions of dollars in valuable nutrients that wash away into rivers and lakes. These nutrients — nitrates and phosphates found in fertilizers — are crucial for plant growth, but they wreak havoc on aquatic life when they end up in waterways.

University of Missouri researcher Matthias Young believes he’s found a way to keep the nutrients on land where they belong. He’s developing a technique that could lead to new types of sensors to help farmers better measure nitrates and phosphates in the soil, allowing them to use fertilizers more efficiently.