Multi-Container Bioreactors for Nitrogen-Use-Efficient Plant Biostimulants
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for plant growth promoting biostimulant compositions that utilize abundant and available organic feedstocks to enhance crop growth and reduce the environmental impact of synthetic fertilizers.
Innovation Solution
A bioreactor system comprising multiple containers is used to produce a biostimulant composition by maintaining a specific concentration of nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strains, transferring microbial consortia and organic materials through the system, and collecting the resulting biostimulant composition, which includes steps to maintain strain concentration and promote nitrogen fixation and organic nitrogen mineralization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If synthetic fertilizers are used to enhance crop growth, then plant growth and nitrogen supply are improved, but environmental impact and sustainability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using organic nitrogen sources (animal manure, plant material, agricultural byproducts) instead of synthetic fertilizers, transforming the nitrogen supply mechanism from chemical synthesis to biological decomposition and mineralization
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses microbial consortia that naturally mineralize organic nitrogen compounds into plant-available forms, allowing the system to self-regulate nitrogen cycling without external synthetic fertilizer input, thereby reducing environmental harm while maintaining crop growth
2Object-affected harmful factors
If organic feedstocks are used to produce biostimulant compositions, then sustainability and environmental friendliness are improved, but production efficiency and nitrogen availability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs continuous microbial mineralization processes where consortia continuously decompose organic nitrogen compounds into ammonia and other plant-available nitrogen forms, ensuring sustained nitrogen availability throughout the production cycle
Solution Approach 2:
Microbial consortia act as intermediaries between organic nitrogen sources and plant-available nitrogen, facilitating the transformation through biological mineralization and making the nitrogen accessible to plants in a controlled manner
3Productivity
If microbial consortia are used to mineralize organic nitrogen, then nitrogen availability and plant growth are improved, but system complexity and process control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex nitrogen mineralization process into functional modules within the microbial consortium, where different microorganisms specialize in specific degradation pathways, making the overall system more manageable and controllable
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls mineralization by adjusting environmental parameters such as pH, temperature, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, which regulates microbial activity and nitrogen release rates, simplifying process control despite the biological complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bioreactor system effectively produces a biostimulant that enhances plant growth and nitrogen use efficiency, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and promoting nitrogen fixation and organic nitrogen content in plants.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining a concentration of the first nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strain throughout the duration of time in at least the first container at at least 80% of a concentration of the first nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strain at the beginning of the duration of time
Implementation Method 2
transferring a portion of the working fluid out of each of the two or more containers into either a subsequent container of the bioreactor system or a product outflow stream
Implementation Method 3
the first nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strain is one that performs nitrogen fixation, promotes nitrogen fixation in the tissues of plants, recruits nitrogen fixers to the root zones or other tissues of plants
Implementation Method 4
increases organic nitrogen content and/or mineralization of organic nitrogen in soil
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for production of biostimulants that promote nitrogen use efficiency in plants. Embodiments described include methods of making a biostimulant composition in a bioreactor system that includes two or more containers arranged in series. The bioreactor system may include an established population of a nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strain. The method may include operating the bioreactor system by transferring into the system an aqueous feedstock that comprises a microbial consortium, transferring working fluid between containers of the system, and collecting a product. The method may further include maintaining a concentration of a nitrogen use efficiency-promoting microbial strain in the system.