SBIR-STTR Award

Livestock manure streams constitute a primary source of nutrients leading to watershed eutrophication, and nutrient mitigation is a major problem for the agricultural industry. Many dairies have anaerobic digesters (ADs) that reduce manure volumes and generate methane for energy. But the nutrients remaining in the wastewater are emitted to the environment after release from ADs. Midwestern BioAg (MBA), a producer and marketer of specialty fertilizers, has implemented a new facility to capture these nutrients and convert them to fertilizer. For our customers who farm organically, manure is an important nutrient source. Making an organic version of our new fertilizer could generate an important source of fertilizer, but we cannot make the current fertilizer organic because of a single synthetic component present in the process. This funding is to develop a new process, based on technology licensed from the USDA-ARS, which will use agricultural residues to create an organic version of the AD-derived fertilizer. Development of this organic fertilizer will provide many benefits. Cleaner water, reduced greenhouse gases, and fewer non-renewable resources used, as nutrients are removed from AD wastewater and recycled for crop production. A new source of organic fertilizer will support organic agriculture while providing an economic incentive for dairies to reduce air and water pollution. And construction of manufacturing facilities will bring good jobs to rural areas. MBA has the sales and marketing expertise, and distribution networks, to sell this fertilizer to organic farms across the Midwest and beyond, permitting rapid commercialization of the technology.

The consumer demand for organic food is growing faster than the supply. This is particularly true for large-scale row crops that go into staple foods and into animal feeds. As a result, about 80% of the primary organic grain supply is imported. Less-pronounced, but similar imbalances exist for specialty crops. Midwestern BioAg (MBA) has been supporting conventional and organic farmers for 35 years by helping them adopt intensive-management, soil-fertility programs that raise yields, lower costs and improve the nutrient content of the crops. Organic farming methods range from intensive-management, high-input, high-yield models to low-intensity, low input, lower-yield models. MBA has a strong focus on the intensive management programs. Traditionally, these involve custom fertility programs and demand more from both MBA and the farmer. In 2017, MBA released a new conventional product line, TerraNu, that simplifies its intensive program for conventional farms and allows traditional ag retailers to provide their customers with some of these soil-health benefits. In this proposal, MBA will develop an organic version of the TerraNu product line to bring these benefits to organic farms and to help traditional ag retailers support their customers who want to try organic production. Organic farmers often fertilize with manure, but not all have access to manure and the balance of fertility in manure is not always a match for the needs of a specific crop. An organic version of TerraNu, which contains manure-derived nutrients and added minerals in a dense, economically-transportable form, could be an upgrade on manure on organic farms. One synthetic component in the current nutrient capture process is the only part of the production system that does not have an organic compliant option and prevents MBA from certifying TerraNu as organic. Therefore, MBA is developing a new nutrient capture process that meets the National Organic Program standards. Two specific versions of nutrient capture technologies are being developed in collaboration with USDA-ARS. Optimization and validation of the technologies, execution in manufacturing and verification of fertilizer performance are key objectives of the proposed work. There are important environmental benefits. Livestock manures when used in moderation are important fertilizers, but when applied in excess, they constitute a significant source of nutrients leading to watershed eutrophication and greenhouse gas production. Mitigation of manure over-application is a major challenge for the agricultural industry. Anaerobic digesters (ADs) reduce manure mass and generate energy, but nutrients remain in AD wastewater. In the TerraNu product manufacturing, MBA captures and converts these nutrients into high-value dry, granular fertilizers. These fertilizers close the agricultural nutrient gap, returning these nutrients to the fields. Development of an organic carbon-mineral fertilizer and its use at scale provide many

Benefits:
more organic food, more profitable farms, cleaner water, reduced greenhouse gases and reduced reliance on non-renewable resources - nutrients are recycled for crop production. A new source of organic fertilizer will support organic agriculture while providing an economic incentive to reduce air and water pollution. Construction of manufacturing facilities will bring good jobs to rural areas. Adding more domestic organic production creates more profits on the farm and reduces the trade imbalance in organic foods. MBA has the sales and marketing expertise, and distribution networks in place to permit rapid commercialization of the technology.