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R-Leaf is based on photocatalysis and it is simply sprayed on crops tank mixed with other inputs. It converts NOx to nitrate allowing reduction of Nitrogen applied.
About
Soil applied synthetic nitrogen has become common practice globally and an essential part of crop farming to increase production. While nitrogen is feeding a growing population, it is also contributing significantly to climate change. When nitrogen is applied to soil, it is converted by bacteria to nitrate and through that process nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced and released into the atmosphere. N2O is an accepted greenhouse gas (GHG) and it is 265 times more harming to the environment than CO2 as it persists in the air for over 100 years contributing to global warming. A disruptive technology with multifaceted benefits has been developed to tackle the challenge. R-Leaf® captures nitrous oxides (NOx) from the air and convert them to nitrate. The technology further breaks down N2O and therefore contributes to reducing climate change. R-Leaf® is based on photocatalysis where light is used as the source of energy to convert nitrous oxides to nitrate. The photocatalytic material which are based on food ingredients have been specially processed to work under normal daylight. They are prepared in a simple to use formulation and sprayed on crops tank mixed with other inputs. Whilst nitrous oxides are removed from the air with R-Leaf, the by-product is nitrate. Therefore, small amounts of nitrate are produced daily on every leaf sprayed and contribute to crop productivity. This allows managing nitrogen applications more efficiently and increases crop yield. The removal of N2O from the atmosphere using R-Leaf® bares carbon credits. It has been validated by the Climate Impact Forecast (CIF) tool supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) that spraying 2 litres of R-Leaf per hectares on a wheat crop removes 5.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Developing R-Leaf technology has been a collective work over 5 years and it has been financially supported by InnovateUK, DEFRA and the European Innovation Council. Overall, R-Leaf removes nitrous oxides from the air resulting in cleaner air, provides nitrogen to plants efficiently, contributes significantly to reducing climate change, improves human health and makes crop farming more profitable and sustainable.
Key Benefits
R-Leaf® captures nitrous oxides (NOx) from the air and convert them to nitrate. The technology also breaks down N2O contributes to reducing climate change. R-Leaf® is based on photocatalysis and it is prepared in a simple to use formulation and sprayed on crops tank mixed with other inputs. Whilst nitrous oxides are removed from the air with R-Leaf, the by-product is nitrate. Therefore, allows managing nitrogen applications more efficiently and increases crop yield. The removal of N2O from the atmosphere using R-Leaf® bares carbon credits. It has been validated by the Climate Impact Forecast (CIF) tool supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) that spraying 2 litres of R-Leaf per hectares on a wheat crop removes 5.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. We are working closely with SustainCert to register the technology at Gold Standard who will issue the carbon credits. The technology will contribute significantly to achieve net zero carbon footprint at the farm level allowing to increase profitability with income from carbon credits.
Applications
Agriculture, Horticulture, Urban, Forestry, other crop types.