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HomePosts Tagged "soil"
R&D, Sustainability, World

The first-of-its-kind data highlights biochar’s potential to scale carbon removals as a win-win solution for people and the planet

Ground-breaking new research shows that carbon removal solution biochar can play a significant role in global emissions reductions at the global and national levels. The ancient farming practice can help countries mitigate climate change threats and decarbonise at scale while also adapting to the effects of climate change and unlocking economic and social benefits.

First developed by Indigenous communities in the Amazon thousands of years ago and now a rapidly expanding global industry, biochar is a material created by heating organic materials — such as forestry and crop residues — that would otherwise release emissions when decomposing. By converting these materials into biochar instead, carbon is locked for centuries to millennia. When used as a soil amendment, biochar can improve soil health and increase water and nutrient retention in soils, helping to both mitigate against and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Biochar and commissioned by the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), the research quantifies biochar’s CDR potential across 155 countries, with net removal potential on a national and global scale, assuming a sustainable supply of no purpose-grown biomass quantities. Currently providing the vast majority of delivered carbon credits, biochar is an affordable, scalable, and readily available solution that, unlike other CDR methods, also provides environmental and social co-benefits like improved soil health leading to increased crop yields.

“This is the first research to quantify the significant role biochar can play in worldwide climate action and carbon removal strategies, at the level of individual countries. To scale biochar to its full potential, we now have a starting point of what is possible at the country level. By considering the climate impact of co-benefits such as fossil fuel displacement, improved crop yields, and healthier soil, we can also go farther, getting a better picture of biochar’s complete climate solution potential,” said Dr Thomas Trabold, co-author and research professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability. 

The report’s consideration of small-emitting countries is particularly significant. Though many small-emitting countries have contributed the least to climate change, they are experiencing its impacts disproportionately, from soil erosion to extreme weather. Biochar offers a circular and sustainable approach to climate change mitigation, giving these countries the opportunity to maximize carbon removal while increasing national and local revenues. It makes agricultural production more sustainable at all scales, from protecting soil security to creating employment opportunities at the community and commercial levels. For farmers facing multiple challenges related to climate change, biochar is a game-changer.

The first-of-its-kind data highlights biochar's potential to

Company News, Textile industry, World

BASF supports cotton production in the United States with the e3 Sustainable Cotton program and in Europe with the Certified Sustainable FiberMax program

Farmers across the globe are working to meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainably grown cotton. Truly sustainable sourcing of natural fibres can be complex and challenging, which is why BASF Agricultural Solutions brought together a global delegation of farmers from Europe and the United States to ensure their voices are heard and supported.

The event, aptly named ‘United for the Biggest Job on Earth’, was held at the United Nations headquarters and featured various farmers from Greece and the United States, as well as leadership from BASF Agricultural Solutions North America and Europe. Also in attendance were sustainable fashion and agriculture media.

“BASF is dedicated to creating a better future for cotton production and the cotton textile industry,” said Ray Daniels, Seed Sustainability Manager at BASF. “We understand that cotton farmers are the cornerstone of sustainable production, which is why we are giving them an international platform to share their ideas on how agriculture must meet the needs of present and future generations through profitability, environmental health and social and economic equity.”

While sustainable farming sounds new, the principles are not. Farmers across cotton-producing regions in the United States and Europe have leveraged these practices to help reduce soil erosion and improve soil health while reducing excess nitrogen use. The renewed focus on these practices by the textile industry provides farmers with an opportunity to demonstrate their inherent sustainable nature publicly in this global workshop.

“We really appreciated the opportunity to attend this event and have our voices heard,” said Texas cotton growers, Randy and Pat Smith. “Consumers aren’t always aware of the effort growers like us put into regenerative agriculture practices, and we want to continue to share our story and gain their support.”

BASF supports cotton production in the United States with the e3 Sustainable Cotton program and in Europe with the Certified Sustainable FiberMax program. Both provide field-level traceability for cotton, as well as a way for farmers to track and measure the environmental and social impacts of their cotton production.

“Agriculture is so central to our lives, but many do not consider the powerful impact it can have,” said Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Vice-President, BASF Agricultural Solutions EMEA & CIS. “It’s also an industry undergoing a time of unprecedented change. Farmers have an increasingly difficult yet important role of balancing the need for increased productivity, environmental protection, and value to society.”

BASF supports cotton production in the United States with

Company News, Foodgrains, Seeds, World

Approval is a major milestone on the path to the commercialisation of crops that give off optical signals – detectible from as far away as space – when under attack from pathogens or short of water or nutrients

InnerPlant, the company creating a new category of seed technology that unlocks data and makes global farming more efficient and sustainable, announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved multiple Regulatory Status Review (RSR) requests.

The RSR approvals include:

InnerPlant’s first commercial product, a soybean fungal sensor currently undergoing field testing with farmer trials scheduled for 2024 and on track for commercial launch in 2025

An always-on soybean that emits a constant signal is used in the crop development process to calibrate and refine detection capabilities

“USDA approval confirms our due diligence around the safety of our technology and reduces the time and complexity of our commercial development cycle,” explains Randy Shultz, PhD, InnerPlant’s Senior Vice President of R&D, Commercialisation. “And it’s an encouraging proof point as we continue working toward global regulatory approvals.”

InnerPlant engineers crops to produce safe and long-studied proteins when under attack from pathogens or when short of water or specific nutrients. The proteins emit optical signals – detectable from as far away as space – that show farmers exactly what kind of help plants need within 48 hours of stress onset, which is as much as two weeks before stress is visible in the field.

Historically, farmers lacked early actionable data and broadly apply agrochemicals as a preventative measure. However, studies show that farmers lose as much as 40 per cent of yields or $220 billion worldwide due to pathogens in spite of overapplication that sees as much as 30 per cent or $250 billion of pesticides wasted – negatively impacting air, water and soil.

InnerPlant’s new category of seed technology delivers traits that tap directly into plants’ physiology and provide farmers with actionable data that is both early and specific to particular stresses in a scalable and economical way.

Approval is a major milestone on the

Biofuel industry, Company News, Sustainability, World

The initiative will harness leading-edge data and analytics to support the development of camelina as a sustainable renewable fuel feedstock

EarthDaily Agro, a division of geospatial analytics company EarthDaily Analytics, has been selected by leading renewable fuel developer Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Sustainable Oils, Inc. to support the work to increase the adoption of camelina in the renewable fuels marketplace through their Climate-Smart Camelina Project.

The multi-year contract is made possible by a $30 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate-Smart Commodities Grant, which was awarded to Global Clean Energy for the purposes of developing camelina as an ultra-low carbon renewable fuel feedstock and building associated climate-smart renewable fuels markets. The initial project will focus on the Western U.S., with plans to expand to other regions of the world deemed suitable for camelina production. Because camelina has not historically been a widely cultivated crop, EarthDaily Agro will produce the first full-cycle economic viability and production yield dataset to serve as the basis for mainstream cultivation and renewable fuel production.

“Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils are recognised leaders in the expanding renewable fuels industry, and EarthDaily Agro is proud to partner with their innovative mission to bring new solutions to the industry,” said Dave Gebhardt, General Manager of EarthDaily Agro. “By collaborating with EarthDaily Agro, Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils join a growing roster of agribusiness leaders harnessing the power of Earth Observation and geospatial analytics to cultivate leading-edge business intelligence.”

“As the renewable fuels industry continues to expand, optimizing the efficiency of our production is critical for meeting growing camelina demand,” said Kevin Monk, Sustainable Oils’ Vice President of Ag Technology. “Geospatial analytics and data processing from EarthDaily Agro equip our company to make informed cultivation and commercialisation decisions to continue advancing camelina as a high-potential, low-carbon renewable fuel feedstock.”

EarthDaily Agro’s satellite-derived, scientific-grade geospatial data provides Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils with leading-edge change detection, yield trend modelling, carbon indexing and crop cycle detection. Through the technology, EarthDaily Agro supplies informed guidance to help current camelina growers maximise yields, as well as economic and agronomic feasibility information to increase camelina adoption among additional growers. In 2024, EarthDaily will launch a new Constellation providing enhanced data for vegetation, water, atmosphere and soil to its ag customers such as Global Clean Energy.

“With the ability to grow on otherwise idle acres, camelina can produce renewable fuel feedstock without causing land use change — and worldwide, more than 100 million camelina opportunity acres exist,” Monk said. “This climate-smart fuel alternative has the potential to energize the growing renewable fuels sector, simplify global supply lines for critical commodities like renewable diesel, reinforce domestic energy supply chains, and provide additional revenue for farmers.”

The initiative will harness leading-edge data and

Company News, India, Schemes - NABARD, Sustainability, Water

The project will also focus on water management for crops and human use through soil and moisture conservation measures

Ambuja Foundation has partnered with NABARD to implement the Bari Watershed Development Project in the Ropar district of Punjab. With the success of a pilot capacity-building program in 2020, the partnership continued with a watershed initiative.

Bari in Ropar faces water scarcity being a sub-mountain region that receives about 80 per cent of total rainfall. Other problems include climatic conditions, soil erosion, and land degradation resulting in low income from agriculture and animal husbandry. Under this project, as the implementation partner, Ambuja Foundation will focus on soil conservation and improving soil quality, water management, conserving biodiversity, climate proofing activities, women empowerment, and livelihood along with capacity building in the area.

The project will also focus on water management for crops and human use through soil and moisture conservation measures. With its integrated approach, the Ambuja team will support in building staggered contour trenches, farm ponds, percolation tanks, waste weir, check dams, gabion structures, and gully plug along with driving plantation drives and recharging pits.

Under climate-proofing activities, the foundation will target 85 households and encourage them to install sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, consider crop diversification, kitchen gardening, and fruit cultivation to increase income, manage crop residue, and set up light traps. Ambuja Foundation will also organize training sessions for women to learn better dairy farming practices and livestock rearing to create alternate income.

The project will also focus on water

Company News, Sustainability, World

PaleoPower is a consortium of beneficial microorganisms that degrade glyphosate

Ancient Organics Bioscience announced the commercial launch of PaleoPower. PaleoPower is the only product known to organically break down glyphosate contamination in the soil.

PaleoPower is a consortium of beneficial microorganisms that degrade glyphosate. Glyphosate is the active ingredient of Roundup and other widely used glyphosate-based herbicides. In controlled studies, PaleoPower reduced glyphosate levels in the soil by over 80 per cent within 90 days of application and by over 90 per cent within 180 days of application.

Scientific studies suggest that glyphosate reduces soil productivity by adversely impacting the soil microbiome. Glyphosate has been linked to a number of human health issues, including cancer. Glyphosate has also been detected in many foods, causing increasing consumer concerns over the quality and safety of the food supply.

PaleoPower cleans the soil by breaking down glyphosate residues. It also restores a healthy microbiome, which improves soil productivity. PaleoPower is an important new tool for farmers to improve the quality and productivity of their soil and to grow healthier food.

PaleoPower is a consortium of beneficial microorganisms

Company News, North America, Sustainability

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program will result in more than $4.5 million in payments to participating farmers for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils.

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, announced the launch of Truterra™ sustainability services, a comprehensive suite of agronomic and financial resources designed to meet farmers where they are at every stage of their sustainability journey. This launch is part of Truterra’s broader effort to work with more farmers to encourage adoption of regenerative farming practices by working to remove one of the biggest barriers to practice change – fear of lost profitability and productivity of their acres – and develop new offerings that best fit farmers’ needs and support their transitions to more sustainable practices.

Truterra sustainability services focuses on working with farmers to plan, make and maintain sustainability practice changes, including:

Making a plan: The Truterra™ soil health assessment and plan sets quantifiable soil health baselines and provides custom recommendations to improve overall soil health and resiliency. The soil health assessment brings much-needed locally relevant context to soil health measures for farmers to understand more about their soil health status, potential for improvement and to help create a roadmap toward improved soil health. After a successful 2022 pilot across several states including Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, Truterra is expanding the soil health assessment to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The soil health assessment offering builds on the robust conservation agronomy support already being delivered through Truterra and Winfield United networks of trusted local ag retail advisors and its farmer support team.

Creating a pathway to make change: Truterra’s market access program is an on-ramp for eligible farmers considering adopting new regenerative practices on their fields. Farmers can potentially receive $2/acre to begin building the baseline data required to participate in future carbon program opportunities. In addition, farmers have the opportunity to participate in the WinField United Advanced Acre® Rx prescription plan1 – a component of which provides a warranty to offset part of the risk of this practice change implementation.

Being rewarded for transition: For fields that have made eligible practice changes within the last four years, qualified farmers can potentially earn between $15-$30 per tonne of new carbon stored through Truterra’s 2023 carbon program which is now open for enrolment through February 28. Truterra offers farmers earning potential by paying based on results – carbon stored – rather than a set payment per acre.

Truterra is also working to develop additional opportunities for farmers to be rewarded for their stewardship, such as the USDA-funded Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) project to scale production and demand for climate-smart corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and milk production. 

“A journey to sustainability is never a straight line. Working through the farmer cooperative system enables us to take a comprehensive view and deploy targeted support to directly address what farmers and retailers need to best manage risk and maximise natural resources to generate a potential return on investment,” said Tom Ryan, president, Truterra. “Through the launch of our sustainability services approach, Truterra is excited to continue working with ag retailers and farmers in an effort to address cost, risk and knowledge barriers to regenerative agriculture practice adoption. In turn, we can help position them as leaders in emerging market opportunities for carbon removals, climate-smart commodities and other ways to be rewarded for their stewardship while future-proofing their businesses for the long-term.”

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program is expected to pay farmers more than $4.5 million total in cash payments for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils. The program delivered 220 participating farmers an average payment per participating farmer of $24,842. Full results for the 2022 program will be released in the coming months once all payments have been finalised.

Truterra’s sustainability services are rooted in the Land O’Lakes cooperative network, which touches about 50 percent of all U.S. harvested acres, and work through its agricultural retailer network of trusted advisors to provide farmers better agronomic insights to continuously improve their operations. With Truterra’s work in supporting farmers transition to sustainable practices, WinField United’s scientific approach to crop management and the expertise of local ag retailers, the Land O’Lakes cooperative system is working to help mitigate the risk associated with converting to more climate-smart practices.

Interested farmers can learn more and find the program that is right for them at Truterraag.com/enroll or contact their local Truterra retail partner.

Agreement is required and conditions, restrictions and service fees apply. Percentage goals for the crops’ Approved Yield range from 95–105 percent for corn and 95–100 percent for soybeans. Only available to corn and soybean farmers who enrol a minimum of 250 acres of an individual crop in the program.

Truterra's 2022 carbon program will result in

Environment, Latin America, North America, R&D

A study on the physical disturbance of soil shows that it drives changes in soil properties and affects soil microbial activity

Higher levels of potential carbon mineralisation (Cmin) in soil indicate that the soil is healthier. Many reports indicate that Cmin in agricultural soils increases with reductions in soil disturbance through tillage, but the mechanisms driving these increases are not well understood.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has established a network of research platforms in Mexico, where collaborating scientists evaluate conservation agriculture and other sustainable technologies to generate data on how to improve local production systems. This network of research trials, many of which have over five years in operation, allowed us to participate with Mexican sites in the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). This project aimed to identify widely applicable soil health indicators and evaluate the effects of sustainable practices on soil health in 124 long-term experiments across Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.

Experienced field teams from CIMMYT sampled the soils from 16 experiments in Mexico, which were then analysed by the Soil Health Institute for this study. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterisation data were collected, with results demonstrating that microbial (archaeal and bacterial) sensitivity to physical disturbance is influenced by cropping system, the intensity of the disturbance, and soil pH.

A subset of 28 percent of amplicon sequence variants were enriched in soils managed with minimal disturbance. These enriched sequences, which were important in modeling Cmin, were connected to organisms that produce extracellular polymeric substances and contain metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors.

The unique sampling design of this study – analysing across a variety of agricultural soils and climate – allows to evaluate management impacts on standardised measures of soil microbial activity. Additionally, understanding the microbial drivers of soil health indicators like Cmin can help with the interpretation of those indicators and ultimately the understanding of how to better manage soils.

A study on the physical disturbance of

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Climate, Environment, India, Sustainability

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal under the All India Network Programme on Organic Farming Centre, held a Mass awareness campaign on “Cow-Compost-Carbon and Climate under Theme: Organic/Natural Farming” as a commemoration of 75 years of India’s Independence.

The  aim of the Mass Awareness Campaign was to create awareness and  importance of cow and composting to enrich the soil with carbon, which links to mitigate climate change.

An interactive session with farmers was also held during the programme and more than 250 participants including farmers, scientists, students, extension workers, and other officials, participated in the virtual platform program.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal under

R&D

The Minister highlighted the importance of soil survey-based land use planning and its outreach to the farmers of the country

Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has laid the foundation stone of the New Building of ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Regional Centre, Delhi on June 6, 2022.

Delivering his address, the Minister highlighted the importance of soil survey-based land use planning and its outreach to the farmers of the country. Choudhary emphasised that 25 per cent of research should be allocated under the natural farming. He urged the Scientists to focus on realising the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s vision to popularise the natural farming across the country.

Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR highlighted the importance of the soil survey and land use planning for the developmental activities. He stressed that the data generated is of immense importance for the policy makers, planners, administrators and different stakeholders for the implementation of the Government of India’s various schemes.

The Minister highlighted the importance of soil

Agro chems – Pesticides, R&D

Introduces a three-fold solution to tackle white grub menace

Aaria Biolifesciences Research a bio-based agri input manufacturer based out of Pune has come up with a three-fold attack mechanism using entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhyzium anisoplaea and Verticillium leccanii. 

“The objective was to come up with a sustainable solution to counter the white grub attack which can cause severe losses at a fast pace to the crop. This three-fold solution will prove to be an important component of the integrated pest management module, especially for white grub management. This can be easily applied by farmers in whichever way is suitable,” said Dr Richa Nair Co-Founder & Director, Aaria Biolife.

White grubs are extremely destructive soil pests known to damage a wide variety of crops. Once established in the field, this pest causes a loss of 25-90 per cent which is pretty heavy for the farmer to recover from. The agriculture department of Maharashtra, India, had reported infestation of the pest in about 1.54 lakh of the state’s overall 11 lakh hectares cane area in the 2018-19 sugar season.

As almost all fungi produce spores which are like seeds, from which new fungi can be grown, they can also be delivered to farms in a solid form. Availability of a pest solution in liquid, as well as solid form, makes it more convenient for the end-user as the application can be done as per the resources available on the farm, through water lines or through drenching or mixing it in the pre-plantation fertiliser dozes which are applied on farm. After favourable results with more than 20,000+ farmers across Maharashtra, Aaria Biolife has already started entering into large B2B deals with other input providers who want to expand their biological portfolio.

Introduces a three-fold solution to tackle white

Agro chems – Fertilizers, AgroPolicy, Nature, Organic, Sustainability

According to M Venkaiah Naidu, organic farming is the way forward

The Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu underlined the importance of organic farming for sustainable and stable development. He said that natural resources such as soil and water are not unlimited and the future of mankind depends on their conservation.

Addressing a gathering after releasing the book titled Bhumi Suposhan (meaning – soil nutrition) published by Akshay Krishi Parivar at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas, the Vice President expressed his concern over the degradation of soil due to the overuse of pesticides and fertilisers and stressed the need for creating awareness on this important issue. He also said that unchecked extraction of groundwater is fast depleting our groundwater table leading to a reduction in moisture content in the soil, thus turning fertile land into barren land.

Listing out various benefits of organic farming, the Vice President opined that it not only improves soil health but also reduces farmers’ input costs. Locally available resources such as cow dung and waste organic matter can be used to prepare low-cost organic manure, thus increasing farmers’ income.

Acknowledging Green Revolution’s role in ensuring the country’s food security, Naidu highlighted some of its unintended consequences such as the uncontrolled use of pesticides. Appreciating various governmental and individual efforts for soil conservation, he said the network of laboratories for soil testing is being strengthened and natural farming is being promoted in ecologically sensitive areas such as villages adjacent to the river Ganga.

Mentioning that around six lakh farmers are practising organic farming on approximately 38 lakh hectares of land in India, the Vice President expressed his happiness over the fact that many hilly states successfully adopted organic farming. He said that the smaller states have shown that organic farming is particularly beneficial to our small and marginal farmers. He said that there is a growing awareness among the masses about the harmful effects of chemical farming and they are willing to pay for organic products.

Naidu also stressed the need for the popularisation of traditional farming practices. He wanted agricultural universities to focus more on organic and natural farming and promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship among the youth. The Vice President said agriculture is not just farmers’ concern, rather all of us are equal stakeholders in its development as food is a basic necessity for everyone. He urged parliamentarians, political parties and policymakers to give priority to agriculture.

Naidu urged people, particularly youngsters, to consume traditional foods that are nutritious and suitable to Indian conditions. 

Praising Akshya Krishi Parivar for bringing out ‘Bhumi Suposhan’ – a commemorative publication of the Nationwide Bhumi Suposhan and Samrakshan Abhiyan, the Vice President wanted this book to be translated into Indian languages so that it could reach the maximum number of farmers. He also asked scientists and researchers to translate their works into people’s languages for the larger benefit of the public. Naidu also stressed that early education should be in the child’s mother tongue. 

Similarly, local language should be used in administration and courts.

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kadsiddheshwar Swamiji, Kaneri Math, Maharashtra, Bhagaiah, Member of the National Executive and Ex Sah-Sarkaryawah, Rashriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Manoj Solanki, President, Akshay Krishi Parivar, Dr GR Chintala Govindarajulu, NABARD Chairman, Scientists, Agriculturists and other dignitaries were present.

According to M Venkaiah Naidu, organic farming

Agrotech, R&D

The research collaboration will work toward identifying scalable and affordable methods for soil quality measurement across farmland in India

Google and nurture.farm have announced a research collaboration to identify scalable and cost-effective solutions for soil quality measurement across farmland in India. The relationship aims to enable farmers with informed decisions that improve their yield and profitability in their practices across the seasons.

Combining Google’s cutting-edge AI, imaging technologies and Cloud infrastructure, and nurture.farm’s direct on-ground reach and engagement with millions of farmers in India, the two companies have outlined multiple areas of research collaboration that will enable and accelerate the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the country.

nurture.farm and Google have entered into a research collaboration to establish a scalable and low-cost method to measure soil health, covering soil organic carbon and other key nutrients in soil. The relationship will focus on the use of hyperspectral image analysis combined with other remote sensing and data collection methods, to accurately measure SOC and other nutrients in soil across a range of soil types and characteristics that comprise the landscape of agricultural practices in India. This method of soil testing, once established in a scalable manner, will help extend soil testing services at affordable costs to farmers across India, and guide them towards ways to improve soil health, select suitable crops, input products and operating practices, resulting in higher yields and income.

The research collaboration will work toward identifying

Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D, Sustainability

The study will help in designing microbial methods to improve soil shear strength at the field scale to protect the soil from erosion in hilly areas and during geo-disasters

IIT Mandi researchers are working towards developing sustainable techniques for soil stabilisation using a harmless bacteria called S. Pasteurii that hydrolyse urea to precipitate calcite. The process does not involve hazardous chemicals and natural resources can be used sustainably.

The findings of the research team have been recently published in the journal ‘Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engineering of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)’.The research was led by Dr Kala Venkata Uday and co-authored by his MS scholar, Deepak Mori.

Speaking about his research, Dr Uday, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, said, “Our study will be helpful in designing microbial methods to improve soil shear strength at the field scale, to protect the soil from erosion in hilly areas and during geo-disasters. We are also working on the microbe-driven production of construction material from quarry waste.”

The researchers used a harmless bacteria called S. Pasteurii that hydrolyse urea to precipitate calcite. The use of urea is particularly attractive because it does not involve hazardous chemicals and natural resources can be used sustainably. Their experimental setup consisted of a column of sand through which was percolated a mixture of the bacteria and cementing solution comprising urea, calcium chloride, nutrient broth, etc. 

Explaining the research work, Mori, research scholar, IIT Mandi, said, “The Calcite Precipitation Efficiency (CPE) depends on a number of parameters including and not limited to the concentration of the cementing solution, its flow rate through the column, the supply rate, applied pore volume, and the sand grain characteristics. We set out to understand the effects of various parameters on the CPE.”

Since there were numerous parameters involved, researchers used the Taguchi method to analyse the effects of these various parameters on the strength enhancement of soil by MICP. This method involves the use of orthogonal arrays to organise the parameters affecting any process and the levels at which they should be varied. The Taguchi method enables the analysis of many influential parameters without the corresponding need for many experiments.

The study will help in designing microbial