DEAR0002020

NEW COMPETITIVE AWARD TO: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
CONTROL NUMBER: 3405-1508
FOA NUMBER: DE-FOA-0003405 – TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE)

NITROGEN IS A CRUCIAL NUTRIENT FOR PLANT GROWTH, OFTEN LIMITING CROP YIELDS. ALTHOUGH SYNTHETIC NITROGEN FERTILIZERS ARE WIDELY USED IN AGRICULTURE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, THEIR EXTENSIVE USE LEADS TO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, SUCH AS GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, DEGRADATION OF COASTAL ZONES, AND INCREASED GREENHOUSE GAS PRODUCTION. THE N2CEREALS PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN FERTILIZER INPUTS BY 60% ON CORN AND BY 50% ON SORGHUM WHILE CUTTING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY OVER 50% AND MAINTAINING CROP YIELDS. THESE GOALS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY STRENGTHENING SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CEREAL CROPS AND NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA THROUGH COORDINATED PLANT AND MICROBIAL BIO-DESIGN. SPECIFICALLY, THE N2CEREALS RESEARCH TEAM WILL USE TRADITIONAL BREEDING TO IMPROVE CORN AND SORGHUM CULTIVARS THAT CAN HOST NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA ON ROOTS BELOWGROUND AND ALSO ON AERIAL ROOTS ABOVEGROUND. WE WILL DEVELOP ENHANCED NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA THAT FIX AND DELIVER NITROGEN BOTH BELOWGROUND AND ABOVEGROUND. ADDITIONAL MICROBES WILL BOOST NITROGEN FIXATION AND NITROGEN TRANSFER TO THE PLANTS. BACTERIAL CONSORTIA WILL BE APPLIED
TO THE IMPROVED CORN AND SORGHUM SEEDS BEFORE PLANTING, SIMILAR TO EXISTING PRACTICES IN LEGUMES. ULTIMATELY, THE N2CEREALS PROJECT WILL DELIVER IMPROVED CORN AND SORGHUM GERMPLASMS AND TAILORED NITROGEN-FIXING MICROBIAL CONSORTIA. THESE ADVANCEMENTS WILL ALLOW FOR SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN THE USE OF SYNTHETIC NITROGEN FERTILIZER AND WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS. AS A RESULT, THE N2CEREALS PROJECT WILL HELP U.S. FARMERS REDUCE THEIR DEPENDENCE ON NITROGEN FERTILIZERS, LOWER THEIR OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND REDUCE THE CARBON INTENSITY OF SUSTAINABLE FUEL PRODUCTION (INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL).

University Of Wisconsin System

THE TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE) PROGRAM AIMS TO LOWER NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) EMISSIONS FROM THE CULTIVATION OF CORN AND SORGHUM USED FOR UNITED STATES (U.S.) ETHANOL PRODUCTION BY 50%. THE PROGRAM WILL EMPHASIZE PLANT AND MICROBIAL BIO-DESIGN STRATEGIES THAT LOWER THE APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC NITROGEN (N) FERTILIZER ON CORN AND SORGHUM FIELDS WHILE MAINTAINING CROP YIELDS AND REDUCING 50% OF N2O EMISSIONS.

81.135 - Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy

Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) [DOE]

Madison, Wisconsin United States

City-Wide

TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE) (DE-FOA-0003405)