GRANTS

NUTRIENT REDUCTION TO SURFACE AND GROUNDWATERS BY REPLACING SYNTHETIC FERTILIZER PILOT

Sponsor

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) under the Innovative Technology program ($487,200)

Award Dates:

April 2021 – March 2022

PI: 

Dr. O.S. Mbuya (Professor at FAMU) and David Ramjohn (CEO of AlgEternal Technologies, LLC.)

Project Participants: 

Dr. Katherine Milla, Dr. Amita Jain, Dr. Robert Taylor, Dr. Lucy Ngatia and graduate student Saheed Balorinwa

Goals and Objectives

The grant is aimed at reduction of nutrient loads to surface and groundwaters by replacing synthetic fertilizers with soil microalgae grown in AET's patented medium, ElixEarth.  Non-point sources of reactive synthetic fertilizers (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) are the major causes of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Florida and the nation. Use of soil microalgae as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers is an innovation worth exploring.

Majority of the algae (about 90 percent) are aquatic (fresh water or marine algae). Terrestrial microalgae and cyanobacteria are the only oxygenic photosynthesizers in soils which are the primary producers of glucose and the base of the ecosystem in soils supporting all higher trophic levels.  Benefits of terrestrial microalgae and cyanobacteria to soil microbiology includes; i) food source for non-photosynthetic microbes, supporting soil food web, and enhancing soil biodiversity and bioactivity, ii) production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) that bind soil particles, thus reducing soil erosion  iii) EPS hold moisture and dissolved nutrients in soils longer, reducing the need for frequent irrigation and keeping dissolved nutrients from leaching iv) EPS contains secondary metabolites ( e.g. phytohormones) that promote plant growth, and other chemicals that solubilize minerals such as phosphorous bound in soil particles making them available for plant growth, and v) cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen in soils, reducing need for applied synthetic fertilizer nitrogen. Algae play roles in every major biogeochemical cycle on the planet, namely, i) Nitrogen cycle, ii) Phosphorus cycle, iii) Carbon cycle, iv) Oxygen cycle, v) Sulfur cycle and iv) Water cycle.

Anticipated Project Outputs

Studies under this grant we will explore the influence of soil microalgae on the dynamics of  soil nitrogen (and phosphorus) with reference to crop yield, leaching, soil erosion and moisture retention. Expected outcomes and benefits of soil microalgae are i) reduced nutrient leaching, ii) reduction of legacy nutrients and use of synthetic fertilizers, iii) reduced irrigation demand, iv) reduction of soil erosion, v) higher carbon sequestration, vi) improved surface and groundwater quality, and mitigation of HABs.