Soil-algae consortia for enhanced nitrogen use efficiency in agriculture
This innovative solution uses soil-algae consortia to improve nitrogen use efficiency by reducing nitrogen loss through leaching, denitrification, and volatilization. It aims to enhance soil health and reduce fertilizer needs by over 20%.
Overview
The use of soil-algae consortia presents a transformative method for increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural systems. By harnessing the natural capabilities of soil-algae to fix carbon dioxide and nitrogen, this solution reduces nitrogen loss through leaching, denitrification, and volatilization. The proprietary application of soil-algae consortia locks inorganic nitrogen fertilizer into a slow-release bioavailable organic form, thereby enhancing soil health and reducing the dependency on nitrogen fertilizers by more than 20% over time.
Technical specifications
- Soil-algae consortia: Utilizes a diverse blend of algae species, adapted for terrestrial environments, to ensure survival and efficacy in field conditions.
- Nitrogen retention: Mitigates nitrogen loss via leaching and denitrification through effective nitrate assimilation.
- Volatilization reduction: Some algae species within the consortia contain phenolic urease inhibitors, reducing nitrogen loss through volatilization.
- Customization: The consortia can be adjusted to optimize nitrate assimilation rates without competing with plant uptake.
Technology readiness level
Current development is at Technology Readiness Level 3, indicating that the underlying principles have been validated through research and formulation of soil-algae consortia. Future greenhouse experiments are planned to further validate the consortia's effectiveness and impacts on crop productivity and soil health.
About Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent, nonprofit ocean research institute on a coastal campus in East Boothbay, Maine. Corporate partners engage through sponsored research and streamlined access to specialized cores offering sequencing, single-cell analyses, imaging, and bioinformatics, as well as a curated marine culture collection. Ocean-access laboratories, seawater systems, and field logistics in the Gulf of Maine provide realistic testbeds for prototype sensors, cultivation workflows, and environmental assays. Work is supported by competitive federal funding from agencies such as the NSF, NOAA, and NASA. A dedicated partnership and technology transfer function facilitates IP management, licensing, and data- or sample-based service agreements.
delivered to your inbox.