University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a novel carrier designed to deliver fertilizer nutrients to plant roots through the soil. These high load liposomes are produced using microfluidic, a continuous process, enabling precise delivery to the rhizosphere—the region near plant roots. This innovation could significantly enhance nutrient uptake by plants while reducing nutrient leaching into the soil and water, making agriculture more efficient and targeted.
Description
Current fertilization practices are inefficient, with less than half of the applied nutrients being absorbed by crops. These inefficiency leads to both financial loss and environmental harm, such as eutrophication in lakes and coastal waters leading to algal blooms and cyanotoxin production. Developing methods to improve nutrient delivery will not only improve the efficiency of agriculture but also reduce nutrient waste, greenhouse gas emissions from the production of traditional fertilizer, and drinking water contamination associated with excess nitrogen waste.
Applications
- Targeted, environmentally friendly nutrient delivery
- Protection of ground water and fresh water sources
- Sustainable agriculture
Advantages
Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for crop growth and are applied in large quantities, requiring significant energy for production. Phosphorus, in particular, is a finite resource, making it critical to develop more efficient delivery methods that reduce waste and ensure sustainable food production for a growing global population. Liposomal drug delivery systems, commonly used in the biomedical field for precise, controlled release of active agents, have never before been applied to deliver nutrients to crops. This innovative approach uses liposomes to encapsulate nutrients, offering the potential for more targeted nutrient delivery. By reducing nutrient waste, this method can help conserve finite resources like phosphorus while minimizing environmental harm. The liposomes are composed of simple, environmentally friendly materials such as water, alcohol, and plant-derived lipids, reducing the risk of plant toxicity and hypersensitivity reactions.
Invention Readiness
A novel liposomal carrier has been developed using a microfluidic continuous flow process, designed to carry agriculturally relevant nutrient loads. Soil column studies have confirmed that the liposomal carriers delay nutrient transport, preventing immediate leaching and retaining the nutrients in the soil across various soil types. Additionally, the composition of the liposomal carrier can be tailored to introduce pH responsiveness, allowing for targeted nutrient release based on specific crop-soil conditions. Although the carriers are produced using a continuous manufacturing process that allows for large-scale production, additional validation is required to ensure the scalability of the process.
IP Status
Patent pending
