Gardner recycles runoff water to produce microalgae-based biofertilizer
Robert Gardner, a professor of bioproducts and biosystems engineering at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, hopes to capture and recycle the nutrients in runoff water and produce an environmentally friendly microalgae-based biofertilizer. Gardner’s research funded in part by a MnDRIVE Environment seed grant could reduce demand for synthetic fertilizer while boosting farm productivity and sustainability.
The microalgae-based fertilizer proposed by Gardner eliminates this issue by releasing organic nutrients at a much slower rate. To simulate a natural rain event and the resulting runoff, Gardner’s team utilizes a three-story water drop tower housed within the USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab.
