Advanced Plant Growth
Project # FWP-01FE03

Primary Performing Organization
Los Alamos National Laboratory

The optimization of plant growth and nutrient utilization helps maximize uptake and retention of greenhouse gases. To this end, this project will conduct greenhouse studies directed at advanced plant growth, soil microbes and carbon/water interactions.  Using DNA-based methods to examine soil bacteria, field studies of nitrogen-metabolizing or carbon-degrading microorganisms will be conducted to measure microbial response to changing soil conditions. The information gained during this project will contribute to our understanding of soil productivity and the sustainability of this productivity for carbon storage.

Benefits of this project to the fossil energy community will be improved management practices for mine site reclamation, and more accurate carbon accounting.  The scientific community will benefit from a better understanding of plant growth and relationships between carbon storage, soil microbes, and water and nutrient utilization. 

The principal objectives of this project are to:

• develop methods to enhance vegetation growth to maximize carbon storage;
• evaluate how carbon transfer from plant to soil depends on water availability; and
• evaluate and improve land management practices to increase net carbon storage and increase land productivity.

Contact:
Project Manager: John Litynski, john.litynski@netl.doe.gov

Related Papers and Publications:

• Coming Soon!