9 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation was given to a group of researchers at Wichita State University.
The purpose of the grant, a news release said, is to “create a paradigm shift from the use of harmful nitrous oxide-based fertilizers to more eco-friendly nitrogen fertilizers that would reduce greenhouse gases.”
Wichita State will collaborate with researchers at Iowa State University, which also received a $2 million grant.
The plan is to explore fertilizers with a lower environmental footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, to enable a shift toward more sustainable agriculture.
“Our research is important because nitrous oxide has 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide and contributed to 7% of United States GHG emissions in 2020,” said WSU’s Dr. Shuang Gu. “A staggering 74% of nitrous oxide emissions come from agricultural fertilizer applications, a percentage driven largely by the ever-growing demand for food, fiber and energy.”
The $2 million will be awarded over a four-year period.