EPA and USDA Announce Winners of the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge

The following press release was published by the US EPA on Oct. 19. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 19, 2021) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, the second of a two-part, joint EPA-US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Partnership and Competition on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) to Advance Agricultural Sustainability in the United States. The goal of the competition is to improve the efficiency of fertilizers to increase crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment.

Winners of the challenge submitted concepts for novel technologies that can reduce the environmental effects of nitrogen and phosphorus from modern agriculture while maintaining or increasing crop yields. The winning solutions use nanoparticles that require less fertilizer and release nutrients on demand to growing plants, and then biodegrade into harmless substances or even nutrients; support greater plant growth from the same or less fertilizer application; and other approaches.“

"The goal of the challenge is to develop and use innovative and affordable technologies to reduce environmental impacts of modern agriculture on our air, land, and water, while maintaining agricultural productivity and profitability,” said Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. "We are excited about the possibilities and continued new work in this area.”

“Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are well-positioned to be leaders in tackling climate change and other environmental effects through technological innovation,” said Acting USDA Chief Scientist Hubert Hamer. “Through programs like the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, USDA is partnering with the private sector to find new climate-smart solutions that are good for farmers and good for the environment.”

The winning concepts include a range of solutions that can improve environmental outcomes, including reduced nitrous oxide emissions—the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture—while maintaining or increasing crop yields.

Winners include:

Tier 1 solutions ($17,500 prize):

Tier 2 solutions ($10,000 prize):

Tier 3 solutions (Honorable mention):

EPA and USDA are coordinating the EEF challenges with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

The competition launched on Aug. 26, 2020. Part two of the first challenge, “EEFs: Environmental and Agronomic Challenge,” is ongoing. More information about the winners can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/innovation/next-gen-fertilizer-innovations-challenge-winners.

Source: US EPA