Agriculture is among the key sectors targeted by the Thai government to drive economic growth. To promote sustainability and enhance competitiveness, integrating various technologies to improve farm productivity and quality while reducing the carbon footprint is essential. This project aims to explore nature-based solutions to support climate adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sector.
In terms of climate adaptation, the project aims to enhance atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration for storage in soil using a combination of plants, soil microorganisms, and Bacillus sp. Mung beans are selected as a plant model for this investigation due to its ability to enrich soil health through nitrogen-fixation and its high protein content that contributes to food security. The project will investigate the soil improvement effects of mung beans and microbes, the role of soil microbes in carbon capture and storage, and the impact of climate change on soil microbial communities and carbon sequestration efficiency.
For climate mitigation, the project will focus on developing sustainable microalgae cultivation methods to reduce GHG emissions. Microalgae cultivation offers numerous benefits, including capturing and utilizing atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and providing a source of proteins and essential nutrients for the health food industry. The project will study the use of agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV), CO2 nanobubble technology, and a wastewater treatment and utilization system to enhance the climate mitigation potential of microalgae production. The PV system installed over the cultivation pond not only generates clean electricity to reduce operational costs but also provides shade, lowering pond temperature and evaporation while protecting microalgae from strong sunlight, thereby increasing productivity. CO2 nanobubbles represent an innovative approach that enhances cultivation efficiency and productivity.
This project is funded by the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (PMU-B).