FFAR-OCP Disruptive Fertilizer Technology Fellows Program
Applications due January 29, 2025
FFAR-OCP Disruptive Fertilizer Technology Fellowship Program Cohort
Dr. Fabian Beeckman
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
Dr. Fabian Beeckman of VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology received $75,000 through the Fellowship, which was matched by Ghent University, to develop naturally occurring nitrification inhibitors. Nitrification, a microbial soil process, contributes to nitrogen pollution and nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Using an innovative miniaturized soil-based assay, thousands of natural compounds will be screened for inhibition potential on a diverse microbial soil community, maximizing inhibitor efficiency. Unlike costly synthetic inhibitors, biological alternatives can simplify regulatory approval and align with consumer demands for chemical-free, organic-approved farming, offering a sustainable way to reduce nitrogen fertilization’s environmental impact by enhancing fertilizer efficiency.
Dr. Benjamin Wang
Stanford University
Dr. Benjamin Wang of Stanford Universityreceived $75,000 through the Fellowship, which was matched by Stanford University, to develop an environmentally sustainable gas-based process for manufacturing agricultural chemicals, including specialty fertilizers. When applied to plants, this process improves nitrogen use efficiency by stimulating plants’ ability to take up nutrients and water, enabling growers to combat drought conditions and increase crop yields with less fertilizer use.
Dr. Utsav Shashvatt
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Utsav Shashvatt, a postdoctoral researcher in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), was awarded $74,997 through the FFAR-OCP Fellowship, which was matched by an additional $16,109 from UC Berkeley, for a total award of $91,106 to recover nutrients in human waste to form two types of high value fertilizers, controlled release and liquid, to offset the use of conventional fertilizers. The increased use of waste-derived fertilizers will help reduce dependence on conventional fertilizers, which are generated using non-renewable resources.
Dr. Kanwardeep S. Rawale
Biotech Naturale
Dr. Kanwardeep S. Rawale of Biotech Naturale was awarded $75,000 to improve the biofertilizer use efficiency of wheat by identifying and transferring genes from wild wheat using their novel method of targeted alien gene transfer. Biofertilizers are preparations containing living microorganisms that promote growth by improving nutrient acquisition when applied to plants. Modern wheat cultivars are bred to be responsive to synthetic nitrogen application, while their wild relatives are a repository of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, including value-added traits, such as improved biofertilizer use efficiency. This project has significant potential to transform biofertilizers into efficient chemical fertilizer alternatives for producers.
Dr. Maarten Everaert
KU Leuven
Dr. Maarten Everaert, assistant professor, KU Leuven Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, was awarded $75,000 to assist sub-Saharan African small-scale farmers increase their limited access to phosphorus fertilizers through an innovative approach of phosphorus recycling using locally available resources. By improving their phosphorus-depleted soils, this project will help these farmers to safeguard their agricultural productivity to meet local food demands, while also supporting limited use of external inputs, soil regeneration, wastewater treatment and minimal environmental impact.