ASU, MyLand use new algae system to boost crops and conserve water

ASU and MyLand, a Phoenix-based soil health company, collaborated to demonstrate how a new algae system could help Arizona farmers cultivate healthier crops with reduced water usage.

Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director at the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at ASU, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss more about this new algae system.

According to Merrigan, this is done by using live, native micro algae to improve the soil so farmers are able to be more efficient with their water usage. The system can also have a reduced environmental impact, potentially paving the way for the future of farming.

MyLand’s system works by extracting the algae from a farmers field, and then taking a close look to figure out what the best strains are. They boost it in a proprietary way, and then pump it back through the irrigation system the farmer already has in place. This is done in order to enhance soil quality.

Merrigan explained when she first came across the company and their findings, she was skeptical because there was not enough third-party data to support MyLand’s claims. Merrigan said this was the “genesis” of ASU’s partnership with MyLand.

“Live micro algae can do a lot of things, including increasing water-holding capacity,” Merrigan said, “And in our thirsty state, that’s very important.”