PIRE: Climate Resilient Sustainable Food Production: Controlled Environment Hydroponic Agriculture with Novel Wastewater Treatment & Reuse

气候变化导致的区域干旱日益频繁，引发了人们对粮食安全的担忧。考虑到传统露地作物种植的高土地、高水分、高能源和高碳足迹，使用温室或模块化容器的受控环境农业正变得更加有利。在淡水稀缺的地区，正在考虑使用再生废水等非传统水源进行灌溉。然而，人们对废水处理的单位成本和能源需求以及对消费者的潜在微生物风险表示担忧。在这里，该团队推进了可持续农业平台的开发，其中灌溉水含有废水中存在的植物营养物质。厌氧膜生物反应器(AnMBR)用于处理废水并产生富甲烷沼气。回收的甲烷抵消了系统的能源需求。它可以转化为二氧化碳，丰富植物周围的大气，促进它们的生长。ANMBR使用其固有的膜和紫外线消毒步骤来去除水中的病原体。像生菜这样的植物是用水培(无土)营养膜技术种植的，这种技术被设计成有效地利用ANMBR中的水和养分。这是一种同时减少水和肥料消耗的方法。从营养地膜技术中回收水可以最大限度地提高每滴作物的产量。该项目还支持一名博士后研究员，以及研究生和本科生，特别是来自科学界代表性不足的群体的学生。它的成果可能会提供一种气候智能的解决方案，在人口稠密的地区生产新鲜蔬菜。该项目是美国克莱姆森大学的研究人员与韩国庆尚国立大学和韩国大学的研究人员合作的。韩国在控制环境农业(CEA)方面处于全球领先地位。这种国际合作可以对不同的作物、气候条件和文化视角进行比较评估。它使这两个不同的全球区域之间能够进行概念交流。通过对比美国和韩国的CEA活动，可以促进关于城市周边和城市农业最佳做法的知识转移。该项目有五个重点：(1)ANMBR系统的开发和测试；(2)营养膜技术(NFT)系统的开发和测试；(3)将监测营养物质和水传播病原体的传感器集成到系统内外；(4)研究良好的制造方法、微生物风险和食品安全；(5)进行技术经济分析和生命周期评估。教育一体化将通过三个独特的组成部分实现：(1)所有参与机构的博士生之间的虚拟和实物交流计划；(2)包括本科生在内的分级、多机构研究和指导计划；(3)由跨机构的跨学科学生团队组成的“黑客马拉松”活动。调查人员将通过利益相关者咨询小组的活动与种植者、政府代表和消费者交流知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Increasingly frequent regional droughts induced by climate change have raised concerns about food security. Given the high land, water, energy, and carbon footprints of traditional open field crop cultivation, controlled environment agriculture using greenhouses or modular containers is becoming more advantageous. In regions with freshwater scarcity, non-traditional water sources such as reclaimed wastewater are being considered for irrigation. However, there are concerns about the unit costs and energy requirements of wastewater treatment as well as potential microbial risks to consumers. Here, the team advances the development of a sustainable agriculture platform where irrigation water contains plant nutrients present in wastewater. An anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is used to treat wastewater and produce methane-rich biogas. Recovered methane offset the energy requirements of the system. It can be converted to carbon dioxide to enrich the atmosphere around the plants to enhance their growth. The AnMBR uses its inherent membrane and an ultraviolet disinfection step to remove pathogens from the water. Plants such as lettuce are grown with a hydroponic (soil-less) nutrient film technique that is engineered to efficiently use the water and nutrients from the AnMBR. This is a way to simultaneously reduce water and fertilizer consumption. Recycling the water from the nutrient film technique allows maximizing the "crop per drop." This project also supports one postdoctoral fellow, and graduate and undergraduate students notably from underrepresented groups in science. Its outcomes may provide a climate-smart solution yielding fresh vegetables in densely populated areas.This project is a collaboration between investigators in the United States at Clemson University and in the Republic of Korea at Gyeongsang National University and Korea University. Korea is a global leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The international collaboration allows a comparative assessment of different crops, climate conditions, and cultural perspectives. It enables concept exchange between the two distinct global regions. A contrast of CEA activities in the USA and Korea facilitates knowledge transfer about best practices in peri-urban and urban agriculture. The project has five thrusts: (1) development and testing of the AnMBR system; (2) development and testing of the nutrient film technique (NFT) system; (3) integrating sensors for monitoring nutrients and waterborne pathogens into and out of the systems; (4) studying good manufacturing practices, microbial risk, and food safety; (5) performing a technoeconomic analysis and life cycle assessment. Educational integration will be realized through three unique components: (1) a virtual and physical exchange program between PhD students of all participating institutions; (2) a tiered, multi-institutional research and mentoring program incorporating undergraduate students; (3) a "hack-a-thon" event comprised of interdisciplinary student teams blended across institutions. The investigators will exchange knowledge with growers, government representatives, and consumers through the activities of a Stakeholder Advisory Group.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.