INDUSTRY
Testing nanobubble technology
Oxygenated bubbles may improve soil health and sustainability by Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News
Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA
CAES researchers Mussie Habteselassie, Bochra Bahri and David Jespersen are testing the benefits of using nanobubble-infused irrigation water to more efficiently grow sods and maintain turfgrass.
While the old song “Tiny Bubbles” lauds the happy effervescence of a glass of sparkling wine, new University of Georgia research on nanobubbles seeks to discover whether the tiniest of bubbles can hold beneficial properties for turfgrass. Led by soil microbiologist Mussie Habteselassie, the Georgia Department of Agriculture-sponsored study will evaluate the potential applications of nanobubble technology to control pathogens and improve plant growth, water use efficiency and soil biological health in turfgrass systems. Other researchers on the project include turfgrass and forage pathologist Bochra Bahri and crop and soil scientist David Jespersen, all with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
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Using technology that generates oxygenated nanobubbles — which are roughly 2500 times smaller than a grain of salt — researchers will apply nanocharged water to turfgrass root systems through irrigation. Manufacturers of the nanobubble technology say the technology can improve root aeration, increase water use efficiency by changing surface tension and improve soil health by increasing microbial activity. “This technology is based on the idea of putting oxygen into these tiny, nano-scale bubbles, which have a higher surface area per unit volume and therefore are more stable in liquid than bubbles with larger sizes, such as in carbonated drinks,” said Habteselassie, a professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences on the UGA Griffin campus.