GO SIMBIOLIVA: New bio-technological solutions for a circular economy of alperujo

The main result obtained by DCCOP in this project will be the development of a new physical system that allows, on the one hand, the use of alperujo as an organic amendment and, on the other hand, the valorisation of the polyphenol content present in alperujo. This will allow the generation of new circular economy processes and the availability of an alternative use for alperujo. To achieve this, combined physical and microbiological procedures will be developed to obtain a product that can be applied directly to the soil, in compliance with current legislation. This solution is necessary given the productive fluctuations of alperujo derived from the very nature of the crop, but amplified by the situation of climate change. With the developed process, alperujo can be applied directly as an organic amendment to crops, or other elements (parks, reforestation), allowing the improvement of the organic matter content of the soil and favouring its fertility.

For the San Pablo CEU University, the project involves the development of microbial consortia that allow the properties of olive oil to be improved as a substrate. The aim is to develop microbial communities that allow the reduction of polyphenols present in olive oil and, as far as possible, improve the properties of the product as an organic amendment. The creation of these consortia is extremely useful for the oil industry and will allow the university to generate a nature-based solution for the sector. This technology presents important advantages as a means of decontaminating products and generating solutions with reduced energy costs and with lower installation requirements, given that its action will be based on the growth of organisms in the medium itself.

For the company DMC, the project will allow the identification of new communities of microorganisms that improve plant development. This will allow the obtaining of new biostimulants that improve plant development and resist different types of abiotic stress. It will also collaborate in the development of new media that allow the survival and interaction of microorganisms with the plant to be improved. Currently, there are stimulant products for plants based on microorganisms, but it is necessary to improve their application through media that improve their interaction with the soil and roots. These communities on an improved support will also interact with the new organic amendment developed, alperujo, thus allowing the generation of a new medium with improved properties that favor the development of different plant species.

For El Ejidillo, the project will involve the development of new substrates that improve the interaction between soil, plant and microorganism. It will also evaluate the impact of biostimulants and treated alperujo as a whole on different species of agricultural, forestry and ornamental interest. In this way, knowledge will be increased in relation to the new organic amendment in interaction with beneficial soil bacteria. In this way, new methodologies will be available for improving soil fertility through organic amendments and their interaction with beneficial soil microorganisms. These techniques are key to improving the resilience of soil fertility in our current climate change conditions and can be applied to all types of Green Infrastructures.