From Space Stations to Farms: Startup Nunos Tackles Emissions with Revolutionary Manure-to-Fertilizer Tech – Breaking News!
Osnabrück/Hürth, Germany – In a significant leap for sustainable agriculture, German startup Nunos GmbH has unveiled a groundbreaking process that transforms liquid manure – a major source of greenhouse gas emissions – into a high-quality, odorless fertilizer. This isn’t just incremental improvement; it’s a potential game-changer for farmers and the environment, and it’s happening now. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) is backing the innovation with a €125,000 grant, signaling the importance of this development.
The Problem with Manure: A Hidden Climate Culprit
While fertilizing with manure is a cornerstone of circular agriculture, it comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Manure releases substantial amounts of ammonia and methane, potent greenhouse gases. According to the German Federal Environment Agency, animal husbandry accounts for 5.3% of all greenhouse gases produced in Germany – roughly two-thirds of the total emissions from the agricultural sector. This isn’t just an environmental concern; it’s impacting the public perception of farming and creating pressure for change.
How Nunos Turns Waste into Wealth
Nunos’s solution? A purely biological process, honed from technology originally designed for long-duration space missions. The company, a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), has adapted a system initially created to recycle human urine into fertilizer for soil-free cultivation on space stations. Now, that same ingenuity is being applied to liquid manure. “Our plant converts manure into a fertilizer with higher nutrient use efficiency and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions within a 24-hour cycle,” explains Nunos co-founder Tim Paulke. The process yields a thin, odorless fertilizer and a small amount of nutrient-rich solid byproduct.
Beyond Emissions: Boosting Yields and Animal Welfare
The benefits extend beyond simply reducing environmental impact. Nunos’s rapid manure processing – quickly removing waste from stables – demonstrably improves animal welfare by minimizing the release of harmful gases like methane and ammonia. But perhaps the most compelling advantage is the potential for increased crop yields. Initial planting trials suggest a potential 20% increase in harvest yield, a figure the company plans to validate in field trials on farms in 2026. This isn’t just about doing good; it’s about helping farmers thrive.
From Farm to Garden: A Fertilizer for Everyone
Nunos isn’t limiting its reach to large-scale agriculture. The startup also produces smaller quantities of its innovative fertilizer for home gardeners, marketing it as a “multivitamin drink” for plants. Available online, this allows everyday consumers to benefit from the technology and contribute to a more sustainable future. The core process is protected by a patent held by DLR and exclusively licensed to Nunos, ensuring its unique position in the market.
A Growing Demand for Sustainable Solutions
The DBU’s support reflects a broader trend: a growing recognition of the need for innovative solutions in agriculture. “Farmers know about the effects of the greenhouse gases created during their work. They often want to change something and sometimes have to due to legal requirements,” says DBU speaker Dr. Susanne Wiese-Willmaring. “Effectiveness and economic efficiency must be right – challenges that Nunos is actively tackling.” This isn’t just about compliance; it’s about building a resilient and sustainable agricultural system for the future.
Nunos’s technology represents a powerful example of how ingenuity and a commitment to sustainability can address some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. By taking a problem born in space and applying it to the fields below, they’re not just fertilizing crops – they’re cultivating a more sustainable future for us all. Stay tuned to archyde.com for further updates on this exciting development and other groundbreaking innovations in the world of climate tech and sustainable agriculture.
