A new way to create synthetic fertilizers from waste by-products, which could provide a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to current synthetic fertilizers for the UK's farming industry, is being developed by the University of Sheffield.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield's Energy Institute and the Institute for Sustainable Food are working with Future Greens, a Sheffield-based SME specializing in controlled-environment agriculture, on a research project designed to improve the sustainability of growing food.
Unlike traditional farming systems that grow crops in soil, this type of agriculture uses vertical water-based hydroponics systems that are totally reliant on the application of synthetic fertilizers to supply nutrients essential for plant growth. Using hydroponics to grow food like leafy greens quickly has been a fast-growing industry in the UK commercially, as well as for individual homeowners with limited space and resources to grow their own food. However, high energy prices and volatile fertilizer markets have put this emerging industry at risk.
Notably, the cost of synthetic fertilizers, responsible for a significant portion of global energy consumption, has risen by 139 percent within the last year in Britain. The sourcing of these fertilizers has fast become an economic and environmental concern, with production also responsible for 1-2 percent of global energy use.
Read more at miragenews.com