Researchers are teaming up with Queensland farmers to design technology that repurposes agricultural waste into high-value soil products.
AIBN senior research fellow Dr Li Li – who specialises in advanced nanomaterials – has won an $881,230 Mid-Career Industry Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to design functional nanocomposites that convert plant-based waste into soil substrates and additives.
Dr Li’s proposed sustainable release technology will be made from cellulose-nanoclay composites that can be applied to plant waste from cropping and growing operations. Stay on top of our industry news and developments, events and opportunities, by joining The NetworkJoin The Network
Dr Li said the nanocomposites are designed to retain valuable nutrients as they break down plant waste, creating rich, soil-like substances that boast superior water retention abilities.
“It is technology that benefits farmers on two fronts – it helps them dispose of farmgate waste responsibly while also creating a supply of products that they can put back into growing things,” Dr Li said.
“We are basically creating a circular economy, one that lowers costs for farmers, cuts the amount of waste that goes into landfill, and improves the ecological credentials of the agriculture industry.”
Dr Li’s foray into agriculture comes after working with functional inorganic nanoparticles and nanocomposite development for drug and RNA delivery, oral vaccines, and nutrition.
She will draw on her Mid-Career Industry Fellowship for the next three years as she develops the waste conversion tech in partnership with Queensland-based Kenon Corporation, the largest Asian mushroom producer in the state.
Dr Li said her technology will help produce high-performing substrates that improve the growth of the company’s various mushroom varieties.
Through her collaboration with Kenon, she also hopes to show that her technology can benefit a wide range of agricultural pursuits and businesses.
“Mushrooms are the initial focus – but we are hopeful that this can be a platform technology that benefits all growers,” she said.
Media: AIBN Communications, Alex Druce, a.druce@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)447 305 979.
