An algae fertiliser was part of the BBC’s 1 ‘Ready Meals: What They Really Mean for You’ programme aired on March 31st.
It featured NouriSol CEO Marine Valton, who outlined the benefits of sustainable fertilisers.
The company secured a £500k grant via Innovate UK as well as the Royal Academy of Engineering and is currently fundraising £1.3m to scale up production and commercialise its first product. Trials have shown a 21% increase in yield compared to a chemical fertiliser.
According to Marine, up to 50% of the nitrogen fertilisers do not reach the plant. In contrast, NouriSol’s algae products absorb CO2 and N2 during production and continue to do so once applied to the soil. These photosynthetic algae strains use sunlight to grow, converting atmospheric carbon and nitrogen into forms that plants can readily absorb, and releasing them slowly to ensure that plants can assimilate all the nutrients more efficiently.
“Our mission is to harness the power of microorganisms already present in farmers’ soils to create sustainable solutions that benefit farmers, the environment, and future generations. Our products are transforming agriculture and helping to address pressing global challenges like climate change, soil degradation and nitrogen run-off,” she notes.
For those who didn’t view the programme they can catch up with it on iPlayer.
