Mini Sponge that Fights Hunger

Climate change has precipitated a global food crisis by disrupting food supplies. This is due to nutrient loss, rendering the soil infertile. This situation worsens with excessive chemical fertilizer usage, degrading the soil quality and leading to soil erosion. Since soil is important for plant growth, maintaining soil fertility is crucial. To overcome this problem, a sustainable method to improve soil quality and fertility is required. Wastewater discharged into the environment often contains phosphorus and nitrogen which has not been fully removed. These nutrients contribute to environmental pollution and eutrophication formation. Microalgae, being autotrophic organisms, can mitigate the nutrients through the phycoremediation process. They absorb the excess nutrients and utilize them for their growth and storage in their cell. Utilizing microalgae to remove excess nutrients from the wastewater can reduce pollution and eutrophication. Furthermore, the nutrient-rich microalgae can enhance soil quality, improving plant growth and yield. Microalgae are also known to benefit the environment through carbon capture and soil amendments. Thus, my project aims to improve soil fertility for agricultural activity through microalgae nutrient absorption capacity. To ease the collection of microalgae from the wastewater, several microalgae strains consisting of cyanobacteria and green microalgae will be examine to compare their responsiveness in the nutrient uptake. The microalgae growth, phosphorus, and nitrogen uptake under selective growth conditions will be evaluated. Subsequently, one microalgae strain that performed best in terms of growth and nutrient uptake will be selected and inoculated into the soil to analyze the improvement in plant growth. The nutrient profile of flowering and fruiting plants will be assessed to determine improvements in plant yields inoculated with the microalgae. This work aligns to SDG6, using microalgae to recover nutrients from wastewater, reducing pollution and restoring water ecosystem. It also aligns to SDG 2, recycling nutrients to improve soil fertility and boost crop yields for smallholder farmers.