Bioreactors in-depth: Carbon sources, incorporation, maintenance & more

Abstract

Today on the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast we take a close-up look at bioreactors as an edge-of-field practice. How does this important tool work, and how does it help mitigate nitrate loss? What types of carbon sources have traditionally been used in a bioreactor, and what types of carbon could be used in the future? How are bioreactors incorporated in to a farmer's operation, and how are they maintained? How effective and efficient are bioreactors? What's on the horizon for the next generation of bioreactor technology? All this and more on today's episode. Additional Resources: Nitrogen and phosphorus removal from agricultural drainage water by a modular bioreactor (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479725019474); Bioreactor research (https://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/research/soil-water/bioreactor); 3 takeaways from the Conservation Drainage Network’s annual meeting (https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2025/05/3-takeaways-from-conservation-drainage.html); Edge of field N and P reduction strategies: What to know about conservation drainage practices (https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2023/11/edge-of-field-n-and-p-reduction.html); Nitrogen Smart (https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/nitrogen-smart)