Room: Poster Area
Date: Friday, 22 May 2026
Time: 11:30 - 12:45 CEST
Session code 1DV.4
Sustainable integrated agricultural management practices - Prospects of a sustainable production of biomass
Can Microalgae Outperform Traditional Chemical Fertilisers?
Short Introductive summary
By 2050, the world’s population is projected to reach 9.8 billion. To feed this population, food production needs to increase by 50% compared to 2012, by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012). To overcome the critical challenges of excessive chemical fertilisation, a solution is the use of bio-fertilisers, such as those derived from microalgal biomass. Microalgal biomass contains essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and also produces bioactive compounds, such as pigments, phytohormones and other secondary metabolites, which can be beneficial to promote plant growth. This study investigates the use of two microalgal species compared with a commercially available chemical fertiliser for the cultivation of tomato plants grown in low-nutrient soil. Four treatments were compared: T0= Negative control (no fertiliser), T1= Tomorite (chemical fertiliser), T2= Spirulina biomass and T3= Chlorella vulgaris biomass. Conclusively,microalgal biofertiliser was able to promote Tomato plant growth as effectively as the chemical fertiliser , demonstrating the use of microalgae biomass as an effective route towards delivering sustainable agriculture.
Presenter
Nayab RAZA
University of Manchester, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNITED KINGDOM
Presenter's biography
Nayab Raza, a PhD scholar at the University of Manchester, is a distinguished academic and entrepreneur driven by a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture and water management. As the Founder of startup ALGAVERSE, she leads cutting-edge research and commercialisation efforts at the intersection of biotechnology, ecology, and agribusiness. Her flagship product, BHAAN, is a native microalgae-based biofertilizer designed to strengthen soil health and reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals. Through her research and venture work, Nayab is translating ecological science into practical, climate-resilient solutions for modern farming.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
G. Johnson, University of Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
C. Theodoropoulos, University of Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
J. Pittman, University of Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
Session reference: 1DV.4.10