RII Track-2 FEC: Advancement of Microbial Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture

South Dakota State University, Brookings SD

Investigators

Abstract

Microbial fertilizers offer a complementary approach to synthetic fertilizers. In this project, a new partnership between researchers from South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and Sitting Bull College, will pursue multidisciplinary research in the Dakotas to develop microbial fertilizers for successful crop nutrient management and collaborate with crop producers across the Dakotas. This research project will also benefit K-12, undergraduate, and graduate education by adding new course materials and by introducing interdisciplinary research in classrooms. The project’s workforce development activities will contribute to an education-to-workforce pipeline for students, provide multidisciplinary training for careers in industry, research centers, government agencies, and academia, and strengthen research capability and technical expertise of early career professionals in the participating institutions. An important primary source of nitrogen for cereal crops is the addition of ammonia and or nitrate fertilizer. This project aims to study microbial biofertilizers as another potential source. By leveraging genomics information, the project will develop novel aptamer-based identification and isolation to obtain co-habituating consortia of microbes with nitrogen-fixing, carbon-fixing, and phosphorous-solubilizing capabilities from local relevant soil and crop samples. The research will screen bacteria in the rhizosphere for P solubilization, mineral dissolution, and N2/CO2 fixation, develop methods for mass production and encapsulation of synthetic consortia, evaluate the establishment of these microbiome components under field conditions, and model environmental and economic feasibility. The project team will collaborate with producers from rural communities to determine preferences and enhance their ability to implement microbial fertilizers to increase farm profitability. The project will build a thriving team that will contribute to a continuum of solutions for crop nutrition, develop a well-equipped future-ready workforce, and positively impact the socio-economic growth of the rural Dakotas. 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.