Biological Plant Inoculants to Increase Carbon Sequestration in Alberta’s Agriculture and Forestry Sectors

Mikro-Tek Inc.


Project Type

Development

Project Value

$909,000

Project Status

Complete

Location

Slave Lake, AB

Funding Amount

$377,566

Soil fungi help the plants that grow around them to access the nutrients and water they need for optimal growth and development. Where soils have been degraded due to forest fire or heavy agricultural production, for example, populations of soil fungi are low. As a result, plant growth can be severely impaired. Mikro-Tek has developed a technology that uses select strains of naturally occurring soil fungi which colonize the root tissue of plants and make the host plant more efficient in accessing moisture and nutrients which enhance plant growth and survival.

The goal of this project is to demonstrate widespread use of these inoculants in Alberta’s forestry, agriculture and reclamation sectors to improve profitability and sustainability, while providing GHG reductions through decreased fertilizer use and increased biomass sequestration. Replenishing the soil with these fungi has been demonstrated to increase carbon sequestration.