Valorizing Recirculating Aquaculture Biosolids for Durum Wheat Production: A Sustainable Alternative to Synthetic Fertilizers

Abstract

Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for durum wheat production and identifying sustainable nitrogen sources is essential to mitigating the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. Synthetic fertilizers such as urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) are effective but energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. Organic alternatives such as dairy manure solids (DMS) are widely used but may pose similar risks when applied at nitrogen-sufficient rates. With global food demand projected to increase by 70% by 2050 and conventional food systems proving unsustainable, integrated solutions such as aquaculture have gained attention. As of 2024 aquaculture supplies 56% of global seafood yet the nutrient-dense waste from these systems remains underutilized. This study evaluates recirculating aquaculture system biosolids (RAB) as a sustainable nitrogen source for Desert Durum® wheat comparing its performance to synthetic fertilizers (Control) and DMS during the 2023–2024 winter growing season in Tucson, Arizona. Results demonstrate RAB performed comparably to synthetic fertilizers in yield and grain protein content with improved outcomes over DMS. This establishes RAB as a viable alternative fertilizer for durum wheat production. Scaling this solution requires further validation across diverse agronomic contexts, long-term soil health evaluations, and characterization of intersystem dynamics.