Startup makes stunning breakthrough that can solve harmful issue with modern agriculture: 'It's effectively 100% efficient'

There's always a strange sort of balance to technologies developed with good intentions in mind. 

For example, synthetic fertilizer significantly shaped modern agriculture, boosting crop yields, food security, and the expansion of agriculture across the globe. However, the counterbalancing caveat arrives in the form of runoff, polluted water, degraded soil, and reduced biodiversity. 

Startup NetZeroNitrogen aims to change that with a collection of bacteria. 

"It's effectively 100% efficient," said Justin Hughes, NetZeroNitrogen co-founder and CEO, per TechCrunch.

The company's biofertilizer utilizes endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that coat seeds, significantly boosting the future plant's ability to "fix" nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. 

Hughes said, "This is a precision sniper approach," in that each seed is coated individually, while synthetic fertilizers are spread out over fields, which is not exactly a 100% approach. 

This novel method also eliminates nitrous oxide pollution, a secondary but no less important benefit. 

Synthetic fertilizer is known for runoff, a combination of nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into bodies of water when it rains, leading to algae blooms and depleting the oxygen for marine life — essentially causing a rapid destruction of the local marine ecosystem. 

Overuse leads to soil degradation, and nitrous oxide emissions are 300 times more potent and environmentally destructive than excess CO2, according to a Global Carbon Project report published in the journal Earth System Science Data. 

NetZeroNitrogen's bacteria approach would help reduce reliance on these synthetic fertilizers, assuming it's accepted throughout the agricultural industry and mass-produced. Its use could effectively eliminate the water runoff issues and save farmers a lot of money in the process. 

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Since it's produced using a large-scale fermentation method, it's cheaper to make than synthetic fertilizer, potentially $50 less per hectare, according to Hughes. 

Improving crop yields and saving farmers money could impact the grocery market, driving down prices and making food more affordable and healthier. Of course, supply-chain dynamics play a role as well, so that remains to be seen. 

Regardless of the possible economic impacts, the bacteria approach is undoubtedly a boon to the environment, providing cleaner foods, cleaner air, and cleaner water at the same time. 

It's truly a breakthrough for sustainable agriculture, as the bacteria are non-GMO and naturally occurring, which means fewer obstacles when facing the regulatory and compliance machine. 

Hopefully, this new method will continue to develop, becoming an intrinsic part of the agriculture industry and leading to a cleaner future for all.

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