PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 20, 2024) – Ram Ray, Ph.D., P.E., has been awarded $576,280 in grant funding by the University of Houston through the Environmental Protection Agency.
Ray is a Professor in the College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources at Prairie View A&M University. He pursues innovative research in the Natural Resources and Environmental Systems of the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center.
Gururaj Neelgund, Ph.D., serves as the Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) for the project and is an Assistant Professor in the Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences at PVAMU.
The project seeks to explore nutrient reduction/removal from ponds at the PVAMU research farm, Governor Bill and Vara Daniel Farm and Ranch, which feed into a nearby stream. The PVAMU team will aid in planting, monitoring, and harvesting aquatic plants from a floating platform. These plants will be converted into biochar and utilized as a soil amendment to enhance nutrient absorption. Additionally, a testbed will be established to apply the biochar, investigating its effectiveness in reducing nutrients from agricultural runoff. Implementing this innovative approach will lead to a reduction in nutrients within the watershed. In addition to producing new knowledge, the research will provide experiential learning opportunities for students as well.
By Joe McGinty