Recipient Organization
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(N/A)
ATLANTA,GA 30332
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Fertilizers are crucial for providing the necessary nutrients to crops, ensuring we have enough food to feed everyone around the world. However, the way these nutrients, especially nitrogen, are released from fertilizers doesn't always match up with what the crops need. Factors like moisture levels, oxygen availability, pH, and temperature in the environment can affect how well the nutrients are delivered to the plants. This mismatch can cause big problems, both economically and environmentally.To tackle these issues, we're proposing a project that involves using a special type of material called a silica/clay nanohybrid. This material can be mixed with a type of biodegradable plastic made from agricultural waste to create a thin coating for fertilizer pellets. These coated pellets, called smart controlled release fertilizers (SCRFs), have special properties that allow them to adjust their release of nutrients based on the real-time needs of the crops and the environment. Our research aims to make fertilizers that are more efficient and better for the environment. By matching nutrient release to what crops need, we can use fertilizers more effectively, reduce waste, and minimize pollution. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to sustainable and resilient agriculture that can adapt to changes in climate and growing conditions.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
50%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
The overall objective of this project is to develop environmentally responsive smart controlled-release fertilizers (SCRFs) capable of improving both nitrogen release and oxygen bioavailability. This will be achieved through the creation of a self-repairing, double-switch nanocomposite-coated urea-hydroperoxide (UHP), with agricultural residue serving as the primary feedstock. The self-repairing silica sol-gel transition and the nanoclay swelling/shrink process as the first and second switches, respectively, enabling environmentally responsive and controllable nutrient release. It allows the SCRFs to release N & O2 precisely in response to the real-time needs of crops, adapting to varying soil conditions. To exemplify this synchronization, we will use snap beans as a model crop for vegetable production.Objective 1: Synthesize and characterize silica/clay nanohybrid with self-repairing and double switch function;Objective 2: Fabricate the SCRFs of nanohybrid-based biocomposite-coated UHP;Objective 3: Characterize the properties of SCRFs and evaluate their performance to improve the N-releasing patterns and enhanced O2 bioavailability;Objective 4: Evaluate the functions of the nanocomposite coated SCRFs on the growth of snap bean plants in a sandy soil in a controlled environment.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Synthesize self-repairing and responsive silica/clay nanohybrid (Tong)Subtask 1.1 Synthesis of silica/clay nanohybridSubtask 1.2 Characterize the morphologies and chemical properties of different nanohybrids.Objective 2: Fabricate the SCRFs of nanohybrid-based biocomposite-coated UHP (Tong)Subtask 2.1 Prepare liquified bio-based polyols from on-farm agricultural residues.Subtask 2.2 Prepare bio-polyurethane-coated urea and UHP (PC-U, PC-UHP)Subtask 2.3 Fabricate self-assembly biocomposite coated urea and UHP (SPC-U, SPC-UHP)Objective 3. Characterize SCRFs' properties and evaluate their performance to improve the N-releasing patterns and enhance O2 bioavailability (Tong, Liu)Subtask 3.1 Characterization of SCRFsSubtask 3.2 Evaluate the nutrient release patterns and O2 availability in water under laboratory conditions at different pH and temperature.Subtask 3.3 Testing nutrient release, DO, NH4, and NO3 using incubation method in the soilObjective 4. Evaluate the functions of the self-assembly SCRFs on the growth and development of snap bean plants grown on sandy soil in a controlled environment (Liu, Tong)Subtask 4.1 Design the greenhouse experiments in sandy soil.Subtask 4.2 Test the snap bean growing indexes and yields.