BioWRAP – Bioplastics with regenerative agricultural properties

News- University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are part of a new USD 6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop bioplastics for use in agriculture over the next four years

The project includes a consortium of 15 researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, NE, USA), Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS, USA), and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Rapid City, SD, USA

BioWRAP draws from an array of scientific disciplines that fall into three major buckets – engineering biopolymers, strengthening agroecosystems, and assessing broader impacts. The general concept of bioplastics is to develop biodegradable plastics through renewable, biological substances rather than from finite petroleum-derived sources

The team will investigate three types of biopolymers: Polyhydroxyalkanoate-based, protein-based, and hybrid polymers. Ultimately, they will apply these bioplastics to field sites to assess their degradation and ability to enhance nitrogen fixing bacteria, soil moisture, weed suppression, irrigation efficiency, manage temperature, and improve the quality of agricultural products

Second, the team will investigate how bioplastics can improve agroecosystem health. Weed control is a cornerstone of this bucket. Recent increases in herbicide-resistant weeds have elevated concerns over environmental contamination, human health risks and productivity losses. Additional research is planned around soil and water quality, life cycle assessment and resource use and impact inventory

Vaishali Sharda, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Kansas State University, will lead this area and is also BioWRAP’s principal investigator

BioWRAP will launch in early 2022 and run through 2025. Over that period, each university will receive USD 2 million in project funding

28.04.2022

Ref: www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

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