DESPITE THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN NITROGEN FERTILIZER SYNTHESIS WHICH HAS INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TO SUSTAIN HALF OF THE WORLD POPULATION BY THE 21ST CENTURY SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES EXIST FOR THE CURRENT NITROGEN FERTILIZER MANUFACTURING SYSTEM SUCH AS THE HABER-BOSCH (HB) PROCESS INVOLVING HIGH TEMPERATURE HIGH PRESSURE CATALYSTS AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF NATURAL GAS AS SUBSTRATE. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (I.E. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS) IN NITROGEN FERTILIZER PRODUCTION BY DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE LIQUID-PHASE PLASMA DISCHARGE TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENTLY MANUFACTURING NITROGEN FERTILIZER USING ONLY AIR AND WATER AS SUBSTRATES WITHOUT CATALYSTS. SUCH TECHNOLOGY WILL MOVE THE US TO A LEADING POSITION IN RENEWABLE FERTILIZER PRODUCTION BY MINIMIZING RESOURCE CONSUMPTION AND IMPROVING THE OVERALL US AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY. THIS SEED GRANT WILL HELP PD COLLECT PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SHOW THE PROMISE OF THIS NEW ENDEAVOR AND BE PREPARED TO COMPETE FOR LARGER FEDERAL FUNDING IN THIS TOPICAL AREA. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS SEED PROJECT ARE TO 1) STUDY THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF NITROGEN FIXATION (CONVERT N2 TO NITROGEN OXIDE OR AMMONIA) IN WATER TREATED BY LIQUID-PHASE PLASMA DISCHARGE WITH AIR (OR PURE N2) IN A NOVEL PLASMA REACTOR DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED BY THE PD EQUIPPED WITH AN INEXPENSIVE AC POWER SUPPLY; 2) DETERMINE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE NITROGEN FIXATION BY THE LIQUID-PLASMA DISCHARGE PROCESS AND EVALUATE THE LIQUID PLASMA REACTOR TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS FOR EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER FROM AIR AND WATER.DESPITE THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN NITROGEN FERTILIZER SYNTHESIS WHICH HAS INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY TO SUSTAIN HALF OF WORLD POPULATION BY THE 21ST CENTURY SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES EXIST FOR THE CURRENT NITROGEN FERTILIZER MANUFACTURING SYSTEM SUCH AS THE HABER-BOSCH (HB) PROCESS INVOLVING HIGH TEMPERATURE HIGH PRESSURE CATALYSTS AND HUGE AMOUNT OF NATURAL GAS AS SUBSTRATE. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (I.E. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS) IN NITROGEN FERTILIZER PRODUCTION BY DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE LIQUID-PHASE PLASMA DISCHARGE TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENTLY MANUFATURING NITROGEN FERTILIZER USING ONLY AIR AND WATER AS SUBSTRATES WITHOUT CATALYSTS. SUCH A TECHNOLOGY WILL MOVE THE US TO A LEADING POSITION IN RENEWABLE FERTILIZER PRODUCTION BY MINIMIZING THE RESOURCE CONSUMPTION AND IMPROVING THE OVERALL US AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY. THIS SEED GRANT WILL HELP PD COLLECT PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SHOW THE PROMISE OF THIS NEW ENDEAVOR AND BE PREPARED TO COMPETE FOR LARGER FEDERAL FUNDING IN THIS TOPICAL AREA.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS SEED PROJECT ARE TO 1) STUDY THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF NITROGEN FIXATION (CONVERT N2 TO NITROGEN OXIDE OR AMMONIA) IN WATER TREATED BY LIQUID-PHASE PLASMA DISCHARGE WITH AIR (OR PURE N2) IN A NOVEL PLASMA REACTOR DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED BY THE PD EQUIPPED WITH AN INEXPENSIVE AC POWER SUPPLY; 2) DETERMINE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE NITROGEN FIXATION BY THE LIQUID-PLASMA DISCHARGE PROCESS AND EVALUATE THE LIQUID PLASMA REACTOR TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS FOR EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER FROM AIR AND WATER.