THIS SEED PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP AND APPLY A NOVEL NANOTECHNOLOGY-BASED PHOTOCATALYST TO SOLVE NITROGEN CONTAMINATION FROM AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF WASTEWATER, THEREFORE PREVENTING ALGAL BLOOMS AND ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP NANOSTRUCTURED TITANIUM DIOXIDE UTILIZING ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT VIA AN ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN PROCESS FOR NITRATE REMOVAL. THIS TREATMENT PROCESS TAKES ADVANTAGES OF ULTRAVIOLET AND SOLAR PHOTOLYSIS. THE PROPOSED WORK IS BASED ON THE UNIQUE PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SEMICONDUCTING NANOPARTICLES, AND IT IS AN NOVEL IDEA TO COMBINE NANOSCALE ELECTRON TRANSFER PROCESSES WITH REMOVING CONTAMINANTS OF AGRICULTURAL CONCERNS. THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE: DESIGNING A REACTIVE PHOTOCATALYST USING PRINCIPLES OF SURFACE CHEMISTRY AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; OPTIMIZING THE PHOTOCATALYST'S EFFICIENCY ON THE REMOVAL OF NITRATE AND PREVENT EUTROPHICATION; AND ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PHOTOCATALYST APPLICATION USING AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE WATER. THESE OBJECTIVES DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE USDA PROGRAM AREA GOAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY-ENABLED SOLUTIONS FOR INCREASED PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS. THE PROPOSED NANOTECHNOLOGY HAS SIGNIFICANT APPLICATION POTENTIALS - IT WILL EFFICIENTLY PROTECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT GENERATING SECONDARY WASTE. THE OUTCOME OF THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE WATER-FOOD-ENERGY NEXUS AND THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE.