Circular economy: an opportunity to save mineral fertilization in crops

The objective of this Operational Group is to develop a model for producers of orchards and extensive crops that optimize the balance of nutrients at a territorial level, optimizing organic fertilization to be more efficient in production, and that this contributes to closing cycles in the territory and, therefore, mitigation against climate change.

The incorporation of organic matter of different natures aims to valorise different types of exogenous sources of organic carbon capable of conserving and/or improving the productivity of agricultural land: achieving adequate agricultural production in terms of yield and quality of cultivated products; contributing to the balance between the extractions carried out by crops and the mineralisation of organic matter, improving soil fertility and the efficiency of assimilation of mineral nutrients; promoting the use of organic fertilisers in order to minimise resources and dependence on external inputs, favouring the recycling of natural organic matter, reducing significant production costs and minimising the impact on the environment; minimising the use of those agricultural practices that accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, especially deep tillage of the land.