UW-Madison Receives Grant to Develop Approach to Reduce Reliance on Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizers
Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM
(Blake Jackson, Wisconsin Ag Connection) A University of Wisconsin-Madison-led research team has received a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E to develop a novel approach to reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in corn and sorghum production.
According to Blake Jackson with the Wisconsin Ag connection, the project, part of ARPA-E's TEOSYNTE program, aims to decrease agricultural emissions and costs by leveraging the power of symbiotic relationships between crops and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
"Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth. Although synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are widely used, they can lead to adverse environmental effects," says Jean-Michel Ane, professor of bacteriology at UW-Madison.
"Our project will address those concerns by providing nitrogen through other means, namely coordinated plant and microbial bio-design." The N2Cereals team will employ a two-pronged approach:
- Crop Improvement: Utilizing traditional breeding methods, the team will develop corn and sorghum cultivars that can more effectively host nitrogen-fixing bacteria on both their roots and aerial structures.
- Microbial Enhancement: They will develop enhanced nitrogen-fixing bacterial consortia that can effectively fix and deliver nitrogen both above and below ground.
By combining these strategies, the team aims to reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use by 60% in corn, leading to a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and a substantial reduction in farming costs.
“Ultimately, the N2Cereals project will deliver improved corn germplasms and tailored nitrogen-fixing microbial inoculants,” says Ane. “These advancements will allow for substantial reductions in the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, and as a result, the project will help U.S. farmers reduce their dependence on nitrogen fertilizers and lower their operational costs.”
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