Davis, California
November, 2008
Source:
Arcadia Biosciences
http://www.arcadiabiosciences.com/nitrogen.php
Nitrogen fertilizers enable
farmers to achieve the high yields that drive modern
agriculture. The use of nitrogen fertilizer will continue to
increase substantially as global population and food
requirements grow. International Fertilizer Industry Association
(IFA) forecasts suggest that under current conditions nitrogen
fertilizer applications will total nearly 100 million tons per
year by 2010-11.
While fertilizers are effective in driving crop yield
improvements, they also frequently have a negative impact on the
environment. Since most plants are able to utilize less than
one-half of the nitrogen fertilizer applied by growers, much of
the remaining nitrogen fertilizer leaches into the air, soil and
water and pollutes lakes, rivers, aquifers and oceans.
A significant portion of the unabsorbed nitrogen fertilizer
volatizes in the form of N2O. In fact, agriculture is the second
largest industrial contributor to global greenhouse gases (GHGs)
-- ahead of the transportation sector and behind only electrical
and heat generation. It is estimated that nitrogen fertilizer
accounts for one-third of the GHGs produced by agriculture
(Stern Review 2006).
One of the most visible examples of the harmful environmental
effects of nitrogen fertilizers is the creation of "dead zones"
in the world's oceans. Dead zones result from the death and
decomposition of massive algae blooms that are fed by excessive
nutrient runoff. When algae populations get too large, they die
and their natural decomposition depletes the water of oxygen.
This creates a condition called "hypoxia" and results in
suffocation and death of fish species.
A 2004 United Nations Environment Programme report identified
dead zones as one of the most significant global environmental
threats facing the world. According to the report there are more
than 146 dead zones around the world that range in size from
between one square kilometer to more than 70,000 square
kilometers.
Our Solution
Arcadia's Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) technology produces
plants with yields that are equivalent to conventional varieties
but which require significantly less nitrogen fertilizer because
they use it more efficiently. This technology has the potential
to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that is lost by
farmers every year due to leaching into the air, soil and
waterways.
In addition to environmental pressures, nitrogen costs can
represent a significant portion of a farmer's input costs and
can significantly impact farmer profitability. Arcadia believes
that growers will have a powerful incentive to use its NUE
technology because it makes economic sense for them to do so. In
effect, NUE technology will help growers protect the environment
while helping them run a more profitable business.
Arcadia has successfully transformed canola, Arabidopsis (model
crop), tobacco (model crop) and rice with the NUE technology. In
addition, our NUE technology has demonstrated significant yield
improvements over the control variety using much less nitrogen
fertilizer in field trials in five growing seasons.
Based in Davis, California, with additional facilities in
Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an
agricultural biotechnology company focused on the development of
agricultural products that improve the environment and enhance
human health. For more information, visit
www.arcadiabio.com |
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