Today, Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North-Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of up to $1,976,150 for Lucent BioSciences Inc. (Lucent Bio) under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program - Research and Innovation Stream. This investment will help the Burnaby-based company continue to develop its sustainable fertilizer technology to protect soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease microplastics in the environment.
Most controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture have a microplastic coating. With federal funding support, Lucent Bio will provide a more sustainable alternative by applying a biodegradable coating to these fertilizers, made from surplus starchrtilizer, which can help plants use nitrogen more efficiently. Its coating technology is designed to release nitrogen closer to when plants need it most during their growth cycle. This could allow farmers to use less fertilizer, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fertilizer costs.
This investment supports the Government of Canada's commitment to helping the agriculture sector adopt clean technologies and adapt to climate change.
