Sustainable soil improvement and water use inagriculture: CCU enabling technologies afford an innovative approach

With industrial CO2-emission reduction the heart of carbon capture enabling technologies, we report on a solution engineered to potentially redress the issues of soil improvement and sustainable use of fresh water for food production. In a laboratory-scale pilot study, we demonstrate the capabilities of an innovative and novel product utilising carbon-capture to restore soil properties critical for crop production. In the first study of its kind, the carbon-initiated mode-of-action resulted in changes to soil physical and chemical properties. Soil water retention in a range of soil types was significantly increased by up to 62%; soil pH increased by 0.7–1.1 units: soil microbial colonisation increased by ˜20% over the short term and crop biomass was enhanced by up to 38%. These results give impetus for developing CCU technologies to address environmental issues.