USU developing nano-fertilizers for agriculture
LOGAN – The water lab at Utah State University is developing a new, more efficient way to deliver fertilizer to plants using nanotechnology. This method could prove to be more environmentally friendly, and potentially more cost effective.
Because nanotechnology is on a much smaller scale, it can better target the specific needs of plants without overusing chemicals. Assistant Professor Yiming Su explains, “The ratio of a nanoparticle to a tennis ball is the same as the ratio of a tennis ball to the moon.”
The water lab uses a special piece of equipment to study nanoparticles. There’s only about 100 of these machines in use around the United States.
According to Su, when applied to crops, 50 percent of regular fertilizer goes to waste, resulting in water pollution and greenhouse gasses. The fertilizer transforms into Nitric Gas, which affects global warming 200 times more than Carbon Dioxide. Nanotechnology can minimize the amount of fertilizer used, and, in the long run, become more efficient than regular fertilizer, while reducing the amount of pollution.
Su states, “If [Nano Fertilizer] can bring the greenhouse gas emission down, then it will be beneficial for all of society, not only for the farmers.” Aside from preventing global warming and pollution, Nano Fertilizer can help plants grow better in drought conditions.
Researchers have not yet found a cost efficient way to apply the new fertilizer to crops, but they are hopeful that in the future, nano fertilizer will be used for all kinds of plants.
The USU water lab is taking on this research because one of their missions is to help the environment.
