Sbir phase i: caged urea as an ECO-friendly nitrogen fertilizer

This Project Grant award of $274,457.00 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) is for the development of a novel nitrogen fertilizer compound called "caged urea" by Agtec Innovations, Inc. The key objective is to create an eco-friendly, intelligent release nitrogen fertilizer that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution associated with traditional nitrogen fertilizers, while also potentially increasing crop yields and farm profits. The caged urea compound traps urea within a biodegradable molecular cage designed to release nitrogen only when dissolved by plant root secretions, minimizing uncontrolled nitrogen release. The project aims to optimize the performance of the caged urea to meet agronomic, environmental, and farmer acceptability targets, with the goal of developing it into a commercially viable and environmentally impactful commodity. No sub-awards are planned under this award, which has a period of performance from September 15, 2023 to August 31, 2024.

Abstract

The broader/commercial impact of this small business innovation research (sbir) phase i project is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination due to nitrogen fertilizers. The project will also increase agricultural productivity at lower nitrogen application rates using a novel concept of urea trapped in molecular cages. Nitrogen fertilizers can be serious environmental pollutants. Available alternatives are either too expensive for general agricultural use or cause unwanted residue buildup and are, therefore, minimally used. Pollution from nitrogen fertilizers remains a serious concern globally. This project's impact is directed at three targets: (a) farmer income: the proposed nitrogen fertilizer may increase crop yields by 5-10%, improve farm profits, and improve the income of 10% of the US population; (b) US economy: the technology may boost the US economy by global export of this fertilizer; and (c) environment and health: the solution may reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution from nitrogen fertilizer. The project is aimed at the development of a novel fertilizer compound, where urea is trapped within a biodegradable molecular cage. The molecular cage is designed to bind urea within its structure to reduce its solubility and reduce pollutant production. Nitrogen is released from this cage only when the cage is dissolved by root secretions (such as organic acids). This technology is an intelligent release mechanism where an insoluble nutrient is released only on demand by the plant. The cage itself is constructed of plant nutrients therefore, when the plant dissolves the cage, IT not only gets its nitrogen from urea but also consumes the cage because the cage is also food to the plant. To have a commercially successful product, the team will optimize the performance of the caged urea to meet agronomic and environmental targets and farmer acceptability. These goals will be accomplished by modulating the cage-link bridges to improve the trapping of urea, reducing volatilization by controlling the microenvironment modifiers, controlling emissions during production, and improving the physical properties for ease-of-farmer use. This project will help to develop caged- urea into an environmentally impactful, agronomically beneficial, marketable, consumer friendly, and manufacturable commodity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.