NuReDrain: Nutrients Removal and Recovery from Drainage Water (2016 – 2020)
Contact: Els Pauwels (PCS, Centre for Ornamental Plant Research)
Website: http://northsearegion.eu/nuredrain/
The North Sea region is recognized as an intensive farming area. Nutrient inputs from land have resulted in eutrophication in rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal zones. This shared territorial challenge will be combined with efficient use of the resource phosphorus.
Current regulatory practices coupled to mitigation measures to reduce nutrient losses are considered insufficient to reduce nutrient losses down to biological threshold values in the foreseeable future. This project proposes a shift of paradigm and aims at developing a technology for trapping phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in agricultural waste streams such as drainage discharges and greenhouse effluents. The effectiveness of P and N removal of many of these technologies has been proven on lab- and small pilot scale. However, most of the research has been focusing on either P or N removal, so the combination of an N removal technology and a P filter technology has been rarely demonstrated. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to stimulate the exchange of knowledge, jointly develop cost-effective filter technologies targeting nutrients removal for different situations and regions, reuse the recovered P for agricultural purposes and eventually work out implementation guidelines for the North Sea Region. In this way, the main source of diffuse nutrient losses can be mitigated in high-risk areas. Eventually, this will contribute to the long-term sustainable management of North Sea aquatic ecosystems.
Bio4safe: An innovative approach to enhance resource efficiency and safeguarding by using biostimulants and innovative sensors in horticulture (2017 – 2021)
Contact: Els Pauwels (PCS, Centre for Ornamental Plant Research)
This project aims to reduce water and fertilizer use in horticulture by using biostimulants and innovative tools. This combination will result in up to 20% reduction of water and 10% of fertilizers, depending on the crop. By including BS based on seaweeds, economic opportunities for seaweed producers will be created.
Innovative sensors allow growers to monitor plant responses to reduced water supply and to adjust irrigation accordingly. Analytic tools allow users to determine water and nutrient use efficiency. This project will result in pilot data on biostimulants, generate innovative tools and demonstrate them to support growers, producers of biostimulants and suppliers of substrates & fertilizers. The multi-stakeholder approach permits a successful realization of project objectives since expertise of all partners is complementary, ensuring a broad dissemination. A policy protocol will be presented to policy makers to help implement the new European legislation on biostimulants.
PROSODOL: Strategies to improve and protect soil quality from the disposal of olive oil mills´wastes in the mediterranean region (2009 – 2013)
Contact: Maria Doula (Benaki Phytopathological Institute), Federico Tinivella (CeRSAA)
Website: www.prosodol.gr
The consumption of olives and olive oil is believed to bring health, however, the side products (wastewaters-OOMW and solid wastes-SW) from their production and treatment could be disastrous for the environment if no precautions are taken.
Olive oil is a valuable commodity with a high nourishing value; however its production techniques generate several negative environmental impacts mainly due to the production of waste, the excessive usage of energy and water etc. At this regard the project has:
- Developed and disseminated innovative, environment friendly, low cost technologies for the protection of soil and water pollution from olive oil mills’ wastes;
- Established an info-library/knowledge-base system to assess environmental impacts from olive oil mills’ wastes to Mediterranean region;
- Facilitated the implementation of Soil Thematic Strategy in areas close to olive oil mills;
- Designed, implemented and supported a monitoring system for the assessment of the soil and water quality affected directly or indirectly from oil mills’ activities in relation to factors pressures and responses;
- Identified potential safe uses in the agricultural sector of olive oil mills’ wastes and its possible contribution to agricultural production.
All project outcomes can be found at the following link: http://www.prosodol.gr/?q=node/1
Vlaio – Supply strategy of nitrogen and water in soil cultivation strawberry as a sustainable transition towards elevated quality in taste and shelf life (2014 – 2018)
Contact: Pieter Janssens (Bodemkundige Dienst België)
Website: www.bdb.be
Designing a fertigation table to meet the demands of productivity, fruit quality and limited emission of nutrients towards the environment in soil cultivations of strawberry. Different fertilizations trials are executed in the multiple cultivation systems of strawberry. Using soil humid balances and sensors the irrigation is monitored and adapted.
Growing qualitative plants on tray and container fields whit reduction of nutrient leaching (2012-2014)
Contact: Peter Melis (Proefcentrum Hoogstraten)
Website: www.proefcentrum.be
The purpose was to find a solution for the run-off of nitrate in the drain water. Leaching curves for nitrate were determined for different dosages of fertilizers. Based on these data a model was suggested to collect drain water after each fertilization in order to respect the allowed nitrate levels in natural waters.
REDUNG: Reduction of nitrate leaching in soil bound vegetable crops under protection (2013 – 2017)
Contact: Sara Crappé (Provinciaal Proefcentrum voor de Groenteteelt Oost-Vlaanderen vzw)
Website: www.pcgroenteteelt.be
REDUNG aims to provide “best practices” for growers in order to prevent nitrate leaching in soil bound vegetable crops under protection by reasoned irrigation and fertilisation.To achieve this a decision support system is developed based on a evaporations model (using soil sensors). Moreover, the salification effect of different fertilizer regimes is observed. Guidelines are prepared to minimize the growers needs to flush their soils due to high salinity levels.
Innovative approaches for nitrate reduction in agricultural and horticultural areas (2016 – 2020)
Contact: Elise Vandewoestijne (Provinciaal Proefcentrum voor de Groenteteelt Oost-Vlaanderen vzw)
Website: www.pcgroenteteelt.be
This project aims to develop a best available technique for nitrate removal from drainage water. With denitrification techniques, a maximum concentration of 50 mg nitrate/L will be provided in the drainage water.
An important step in the project is striving for a joint approach by farmers through collective agreements. Developing and start-up of a blue service would ensure that farmers and / or water managers themselves are able to manage independently the purification and maintenance of the technique. The technique will be demonstrated on study days, publications etc to reach the relevant stakeholders. The technique will be distributed within the duration of the project to a broad group of farmers.
FERTILIFE: Agricultural carbonic fertilization with ceramic industry greenhouse gases emissions (2015 – 2018)
Contact: Maria Dolores Corvinos (Sistemas Avanzados Energeticos S.I)
Website: http://fertilife-project.eu
The project focuses on reducing GHG emossions of ceramic industries in the area of Castellón de la Plana using the CO2 captured in agriculture, promoting it as a natural sink for CO2 to enhance this residual gas by using it as acidifier in irrigation water.
The main objectives of this project are:
- Develop a prototype in which CO2 emissions of an industrial installation are captured and the resulting carbonated water is used to irrigate crops.
- Demostrate the feasibility of carbonic fertigation on citrus. Analyze the impact of the continued use of CO2 in the irrigation network in soil plants.
- Design and implement techniques for proper CO2 dissolution in a drip irrigation system and monitor its implementation and dissemination in different plots.
- Assess the impact on root respiration, and thus on total organic matter content, of the carbonic fertigation.
- Quantifying the impact of carbonic fertigation on the use of chelates and other fertilizers.
Bio4safe: An innovative approach to enhance resource efficiency and safeguarding by using biostimulants and innovative sensors in horticulture (2017 – 2021)
FERTILIFE: Agricultural carbonic fertilization with ceramic industry greenhouse gases emissions (2015 – 2018)