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Nano-Nutrients for Stress-Resilient Nitrogen Fixation and Fertiliser Reduction (RsillientNF)
Secondary Supervisor(s): Prof Miriam Gifford
University of Registration: University of Birmingham
BBSRC Research Themes: Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)
Project Outline
Modern farming relies heavily on synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, yet less than half is taken up by crops. The rest is lost to the environment, causing soil and water pollution, biodiversity decline, and greenhouse gas emissions. Climate extremes such as droughts, floods and heatwaves further intensify this nitrogen challenge.
A sustainable alternative is biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), where rhizobia convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available forms in root nodules. However, BNF is highly sensitive to stress: drought, salinity, pathogens, and shortages of micronutrients like iron and molybdenum readily suppress nodulation and nitrogenase activity. Existing approaches, such as microbial inoculants or gene editing, show potential but often underperform in real-world, climate-stressed conditions. This makes strengthening BNF resilience a major unmet challenge in agriculture.
Preliminary results indicate that nanotechnology offers a powerful solution. We showed that molybdenum-based nano-nutrients increased nitrogenase activity by ~125% and soybean yield by ~35%. Moreover, an iron -based nanomaterials boosted nitrogenase up to 8.5-fold and nearly tripled peanut yield under salinity stress. These proof-of-concept findings demonstrate that nano-nutrients can directly protect nodules, enhance symbiosis, and improve crop performance under stress.
This project will develop new nano-nutrients and strategies to enhance their effects. It will explore bio-based coatings for controlled release of the nutrients to maximize the performance. It will also investigate how nano-nutrients influence rhizobia–plant interactions and nodule molecular pathways. Plant growth assays, isotope tracing and imaging will track uptake and transformation, while transcriptomics will reveal symbiotic responses. Together, this will deliver mechanistic insight and practical tools to reduce fertiliser reliance and strengthen crop resilience.
