INCREASING FOOD PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION THROUGH FERTIGATION AND MIXOTROPHIC GROWTH IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE

In an effort to increase agricultural production and maximize resources devoted to food production, this research will explore increasing food production using mixotrophic growth(light and chemical energy) and utilizing new nutrient sources for food production in controlled environment agriculture(CEA).Fermented wastewater is an excellent source of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus for plants, but it contains weak acids like acetate, which can inhibit plant growth. The goal of this research is to perform (1) genetic engineering and (2) a mutant screen to identify genes that are important for acetate tolerance and utilization in plants. With the ultimate goal of producing plants that can metabolize acetate as an heterotrophic energy source. This research could allow the use of fermented waste water as an alternative nutrient source for CEA and turn once inhibitory compounds into an energy source to improve crop growth and yield. An additional goal (3) is to understand the potential of mixotrophic growth by supplementing plants with sucrose and measuring any improvements in growth. These results can then be compared to any improvements in growth caused by the consumption of acetate as an energy source. Together this research works to improve resource usage and increase food production.Goal 1: Use mixotrophic growth to increase crop yield.Objective 1.1 Mixotrophic growth proof of conceptObjective 1.2 Determine the optimal amount of supplemental carbon sourceObjective 1.3 Metabolomics of plants grown with supplemented nutrients and carbon sourcesGoal 2: Forward genetic screen to improve and understand plant acetate toleranceObjective 2.1 Screening of M2 mutant Arabidopsis plants for acetate tolerance.Objective 2.2 Secondary check for false positives and establishment of strength of phenotype.Objective 2.3 Bioinformatic and functional characterization of mutantsGoal 3: Engineering approach to improving plant acetate tolerance and utilization.Objective 3.1 Over express genes in acetate utilizationObjective 3.2 Transient expression and fluorescent microscopyObjective 3.3 Characterization of phenotypes in Arabidopsis