BioNitrogen
Project Overview
University
Year
About
Less than half of the nitrogen fertiliser applied to wheat is absorbed by the crop, increasing costs for farmers and contributing to water pollution, soil damage and greenhouse gas emissions. BioNitrogen is a foliar spray containing BT2, a synthetic peptide based on wheat’s natural nutrient-signalling system. It prompts the roots to absorb more nitrogen without genetic modification or specialised equipment. In controlled experiments, treated wheat showed 45% greater nitrogen uptake and 27% higher grain yield, with benefits maintained under drought stress. The technology could improve food security while reducing fertiliser dependence and environmental harm.
Team
Baber Ali
Baber Ali is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science at Western Sydney University, where his research develops sustainable approaches to improving nitrogen uptake and use efficiency in cereal crops. He is also a Research Fellow with the Australian Plant Phenomics Network at the Australian National University, investigating how peptide signalling shapes root system architecture under drought. His expertise spans plant–microbe interactions, molecular biology and stress physiology, and he has authored more than 70 journal articles and book chapters.
