Bolstered by a $2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, a group of Wichita State researchers is hoping 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.
The project to curb nitrous oxide is a collaboration between researchers at WSU and Iowa State University, led by WSU’s Dr. Shuang Gu, associate professor in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Wenzhen Li, a professor in the College of Engineering at Iowa State. The ISU researchers also received $2 million from the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
The WSU team will work alongside the ISU team to explore fertilizers that have a lower environmental footprint by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, with the goal of enabling a shift toward more sustainable agriculture.