INFEWS/T2: Improving crop yield and soil salinity by cost-effective integration of microbial community, hydrology, desalination, and renewable power

该项目为解决影响美国西部缺水地区和其他国家粮食生产的农业土壤和灌溉用水的高盐度问题提供了新的解决方案。项目的主要目标是通过可再生能源驱动的海水淡化来改善灌溉水质，恢复土壤肥力，并通过土壤微生物群落的再生来减少化肥的使用，从而提高高盐分土壤地区的作物产量。除了减少化石燃料的使用外，拟议的系统还将提高土壤肥力和土壤碳保持能力，从而减少向大气排放二氧化碳，并减少生产化肥的能源消耗。社会经济分析将评估采用这些技术的可能性，并估计在粮食和能源安全、土壤和水质量以及大气碳减排方面的长期效益。该项目为不同学科的学生提供了合作解决具有挑战性的问题的机会，从而为他们从事不同的专业职位做好准备。将在新墨西哥州和科罗拉多州研究地区的农业社区展示成果，以帮助提高生产者对新开发的技术和实践的理解和采用。项目的总体目标是通过使用太阳能海水淡化产生的高质量灌溉水来提高土壤和水盐分过剩地区的作物产量，并增强土壤微生物群落。该项目寻求土壤的长期改良，减少大气中的二氧化碳，提高地表水和地下水的质量。这项研究将评估在减少碳基能源使用的同时提高作物产量、改善土壤微生物群和灌溉用水、减少化肥使用和相关能源需求、增加土壤碳汇和改善含水层水质的成本和效益。该项目将开发离网微咸水淡化设施，并在美国西部两个不同地区的农业试验中使用淡化水。这些地区是新墨西哥州的图拉罗萨盆地，那里的水是咸水，以及科罗拉多州的下阿肯色州河谷，那里的盐碱化问题日益严重，导致作物产量下降。将使用系统方法将粮食生产与海水淡化和可再生能源相结合。这一方法包括：1)离网咸水淡化试点；2)多年农业试验；3)水文和作物模型；4)评估对大气二氧化碳的影响；5)用于实时监测实地试验的网络基础设施；6)社会经济分析，以评估可能采用的技术和对指导政策的影响。该项目将使人们更好地了解土壤微生物组及其对作物产量的影响，并为这类综合系统研究在网络基础设施方面取得新进展。虽然食品、能源和水的各个组成部分都不能提供完整的解决方案，但它们的整合有可能显著提高食品安全和环境质量，特别是在美国水资源有限的地区。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。

This project contributes new solutions to the problem of high salinity in agricultural soil and irrigation water that affect food production in water-limited areas of the western United States and in other countries. Major project goals are to increase crop yields in areas with high salinity soils by improving irrigation water quality through desalination powered by renewable energy, restoring soil fertility, and reducing fertilizer applications through regeneration of the soil microbial community. In addition to reducing fossil fuel use, the proposed system will increase soil fertility and soil carbon retention, thereby decreasing carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and reducing the use of energy to produce fertilizers. Socio-economic analyses will evaluate potential adoption of the technologies as well as estimate long-term benefits on food and energy security, soil and water quality, and atmospheric carbon reductions. The project offers opportunities for students of various disciplines to work together on a challenging problem, thus preparing them for diverse professional positions. Results will be demonstrated for agricultural communities in the New Mexico and Colorado study areas to help increase producer understanding and adoption of the newly-developed technologies and practices.The overall project goal is to improve crop yields in areas with excess soil and water salinity by using high-quality irrigation water produced by solar-powered desalination and to enhance soil microbial communities. The project seeks long-term improvements of soil, reductions in atmospheric CO2, and increases in surface and ground water quality. The research will evaluate costs and benefits of improving crop yields while reducing carbon-based energy usage, improving the soil microbiome and irrigation water, reducing use of fertilizers and associated energy requirements, increasing soil carbon sequestration, and improving aquifer water quality. The project will develop off-grid brackish water desalination facilities and use desalinized water in agronomic experiments in two contrasting areas in the western United States. These areas are the Tularosa basin in New Mexico where water is brackish and the Lower Arkansas River Valley in Colorado where there are increased salinization problems that reducedcrop yields. A systems approach will be used to integrate food production with desalination and renewable energy. This approach includes: 1) Off-grid brackish water desalination pilots; 2) Multi-year agricultural trials; 3) Hydrological and crop models; 4) Assessment of impacts on atmospheric CO2; 5) Cyberinfrastructure for real-time monitoring of field trials; and 6) Socio-economic analyses to assess potential adoption technologies and implications for guiding policy. The project will lead to increased understanding of the soil microbiome and its influence on crop yield and to new developments in cyberinfrastructure for this type of integrated systems research. While none of the individual food, energy, and water components provide a complete solution, their integration has the potential to considerably increase food security and environmental quality, particularly in water-limited areas of the United States.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.