AGROENTOOL Operational Group: Insects as a biotechnological tool for obtaining compounds of agricultural interest
- Type Operational group
- Status In progress
- Execution 2022 -2023
- Assigned Budget 283.310,00 €
- Scope Autonómico
- Autonomous community Andalucía
- Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
- Project website GO AGROENTOOL
The expected results of the first three phases of the work plan are as follows:
- Selection of an insect species with high chitin content and breeding protocol.
- Characterization report of the insects under study.
- Protocol for extracting chitin from the exoskeleton of selected insects.
- Protocol for obtaining chitosan from extracted chitin.
- Scaling up the process while maintaining the quality of the chitosan obtained.
- Obtaining a chitosan-based fertilizer product(s), enriched with nutrients, that complies with current legislation for fertilizer products and whose agronomic effect allows their commercialization.
- Validation of the processes and products developed throughout the project execution period, as well as a thorough analysis of the results obtained in order to assess the potential and opportunities for their exploitation by the companies involved.
Dissemination phase:
- Keep both members of the Operational Group and external stakeholders involved in the execution of the Project informed of the progress and results achieved during its development.
- To raise awareness of the benefits the project brings to internal and external stakeholders, laying the groundwork for harnessing the technological potential of insects to produce natural agricultural inputs and thus improving the competitiveness of farms without harming the environment or the living beings that inhabit it.
- Generate commitment and participation of interested groups, involving them in the development of the Project.
- Know the expectations of the Project by the groups involved.
Traditionally, agricultural production primarily uses chemical fertilizers to provide plants with the necessary nutrients, but due to their increasing cost and the environmental pollution that some cause when used irrationally (mainly the degradation of soil biodiversity), it is necessary to find new, more efficient, and economical alternatives for fertilization.
This need to find new alternatives that improve crop sustainability has become one of the reasons for the search and development of more environmentally friendly products, a line of great interest to companies in the agricultural sector and one within which the AGROENTOOL project is framed.
In accordance with the aforementioned, the AGROENTOOL project was created with the aim of generating and applying new, highly potential, sustainable alternatives, such as edible insects, to the agricultural world. This will help mitigate all the negative effects caused in recent decades and achieve a new agricultural model aligned with current policies for optimizing the use of resources and bioeconomy strategies.
- In PT1, all the necessary actions will be carried out to initiate the breeding of two different insect species in order to obtain a sustainable and efficient process for obtaining high-quality chitin.
- PT2 will develop protocols for obtaining chitin from selected insects, transforming it into chitosan, and scaling up the process to obtain the necessary amount to carry out the remaining activities.
- PT3 will involve formulating chitosan-based agricultural inputs, which will subsequently be validated in the field.
- PT4 will validate both the insect breeding process and the final product obtained from chitin.
- Mass breeding of insects for the production of chitosan from the chitin contained in their exoskeleton for the production of agricultural inputs.
- The goal is to develop a bioactive ingredient like chitosan that can be used as a base for new formulations of field-derived products with the potential to induce defense mechanisms and thus improve crop protection.
- The proposal is to transform a resource obtained from insects into a high-value product that can be used as a raw material for the formulation of products for field use.
- Coordinator/entity name: ENTONOVA, SL
- Postal address: Amsterdam Street 16, 04710 Santa María del Águila, El Ejido (Almería)
- Coordinator/entity email: pacocara@entonova.com
- Telephone: 676588591
In order to monitor their degree of impact, the following indicators will be taken into account: - Selection of at least two insects - List of control parameters - Selection of at least two techniques with potential - Selection of at least two uses - Production/m2 - High chitin content (%) - Extraction yield (%) - Transformation yield (%) - 2 formulated products - Yield (% chitin) - Possible additional uses - Composition using IR spectrophotometry - Formulation effectiveness - Corporate identity manual - At least two designed brochures - Website update report - Social media publication report - Newsletters - Final report on the execution of communication actions
- ENTONOVA, S.L.
- FUNDACION TECNOVA (rramos@fundaciontecnova.com)
- ZENAGRO, S.L. (adela@zenagro.com)
- UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERIA (fbarroso@ual.es)
- ASOCIACION AGRARIA JOVENES AGRICULTORESDE ALMERIA (asaja@asajaalmeria.org
- ENTONOVA, S.L.
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