Healthy Planet
Carbon dioxide emissions represent a critical problem to solve that rightfully has most of the public’s attention in our global climate warming challenge. Fortunately, plants absorb and store carbon dioxide, but humans have created an imbalance with excess carbon dioxide release. Though well deserving of the attention, carbon dioxide is unfortunately not the only greenhouse gas problem. Other pollutants such as methane, fluorinated gases, and importantly, nitrous oxide, are rapidly warming our climate, also.
Like other greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N2O) absorbs radiation and traps heat in the atmosphere, with a lifetime of 114 years according to the US EPA. Nitrous oxide, pound for pound, is about 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In our atmosphere it converts to nitrogen oxides (NOx) that deplete the ozone which protects humans from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Reducing N2O could have a fast and significant impact on future global warming
The largest source of nitrous oxide is agriculture, particularly fertilized soil and animal waste used by farmers around the world to help stimulate plant growth. The more plant growth, the more food on any given acre of land in a world in increasing need. In the US, agriculture contributes about 75% of all sources of N2O. (US EPA). As noted under Healthy Soil, approaches to maintain a healthier soil microbiome, and the reduced use of toxic pesticides, could increase carbon fixation and reduce airborne carbon dioxide and potentially reduce fertilizer needs.
However, fertilizers will remain essential to food production around the world. Only about half of all the nitrogen fertilizer added to the farmers soil gets taken up by the plant. Of the other half, some becomes washed away in groundwater, causing algae blooms and other imbalances, or off-gassed as nitrous oxide or other pollutants such as NOx into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
Methane is, like nitrous oxide, also a critical greenhouse gas contributor. Human sources, such as fossil fuel extraction and livestock, are roughly equal to natural emissions, such as from wetlands. Efficient air pollution mitigation is best on concentrated sources for cost reasons. However, conversion of low concentration atmospheric methane and nitrous oxides provides a no-cost corollary benefit from the wide use of AgriTitan™as a crop protection product.
Multiple studies have demonstrated the effect of titanium dioxide mediated photocatalysts to significantly reduce concentrations of methane, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxides. AgriTitan™ is a patented, advanced photocatalyst crop protection technology with superior performance over generic titanium dioxide-based photocatalysts. Utilizing the anatase crystalline form of titanium dioxide, and unique structure and specific composition, AgriTitan™ captures more natural light energy for stronger and sustained photocatalysis.
Field application is to the total surfaces of the plant above ground. After application the thin transparent ‘plates’ of AgriTitan™ remains on the leaf, stem, and trunk structures. In addition to its primary function of deactivation of microbial pathogens on the plant surfaces in the presence of light, AgriTitan™ will continuously reduce nitrous oxides and methane as they come into contact with the plant surfaces. This active photocatalytic remediation of the air pollutants and pathogens continues day after day, with the potential of many hundreds of thousands of acres of crop plants serving as immense nitrous oxide and methane ‘capture and conversion facilities’. We can achieve a significant benefit to our planet’s health at no additional cost.
This solar-powered conversion of atmospheric NOx and N2O to nitrate (NO3) also provides an important economic benefit to the farmer. Nitrate is a source of accessible nitrogen that plants use to make proteins, nucleic acids, and other substances that are necessary for healthy growth. The nitrates formed on the AgriTitan™-coated plant surfaces are soluble in water and become available to the plant whenever moisture is present. This cost-efficient process makes AgriTitan™ a “solar fertilizer producer”, while also reducing NOx pollution.
Put simply, AgriTitan™ helps recharge the supply of soil nitrate while reducing atmospheric pollution, providing a virtuous cycle that can reduce the amount of applied fertilizer needed.
From pollutant to nutrient using the power of the sun.
In summary, AgriTitan™ is a highly effective natural mineral crop protection product, improving plant health and yield, while also helping clean the very air we breathe and reducing greenhouse warming gases. All while creating fertilizer for the plants.
AgriTitan™ is unique in providing multifunctional crop protection with sustainable and resilient global agriculture technology for healthier food systems to benefit farmers, our environment, and consumers.
