LIXAGRO Operational Group: Circular bioeconomy of crop remains for reuse in agriculture
- Type Operational group
- Status In progress
- Execution 2023 -2025
- Assigned Budget 299.994,00 €
- Scope Autonómico
- Autonomous community Andalucía
- Project website GO LIXAGRO
- Identification of critical points in the composting process to improve operating conditions and reduce the environmental impact of the process.
- Detection of critical composting points in leachate generation.
- Knowledge of the composition of composting leachates from a chemical, biological, and microbiological perspective, in several batches of leachates from different periods, in order to characterize them and compare differences according to the plant material of origin and composting process.
- Analysis of all crop production parameters (vegetative and root growth, vegetative and productive development), as well as verification through analysis of the presence or absence of contaminating substances in the soil and fruit of the crops where the treated leachates have been applied.
- Dissemination and transfer of all the results obtained in the LIXAGRO innovation project to all involved sectors and society in general.
This project meets a large number of objectives of the Andalusian Bioeconomy Strategy, which states that "the Andalusian agri-food sector is a model where research and innovation have a great capacity to be incorporated, with growing interest in bioproducts from plant remains, with a powerful technical and scientific infrastructure and an interconnected, plural and diverse business fabric, where biotechnological innovations are rapidly disseminated and safely implemented."
The project proposes improving the management of plant waste from a circular economy perspective, enabling its reuse within fruit and vegetable production processes, contributing to irrigation and fertilizer management. It also aims to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers for the production of quality and safe fruits and vegetables, and to use digital tools to increase efficiency in this management and produce higher-quality organic products, while reducing the environmental impact.
Through the implementation of this project, various problems are simultaneously solved, such as:
- Obtaining a fertilizer product for agricultural use, promoting the circular economy in the agricultural production system with health guarantees.
- Possibility of implementing new processes and job opportunities in rural environments.
- Reduction of environmental problems and social rejection associated with plant leachates.
- Improving the sustainability and profitability of agricultural production.
- Search and selection of microorganisms capable of degrading recalcitrant compounds from different samples of compost and leachate.
- Characterization of the different compost and leachate samples from a microbiological point of view and of the agronomic properties of the leachates and phytotoxicity.
- Scaling up the production of microorganisms.
- Analysis and evaluation of microcontaminants contained in leachates and their biodegradability and/or toxicity.
- Plant composting trials of plant waste and its effect on leachate. Field evaluation of treated leachate.
- Evaluation of the application of treated leachates in crops under real-life conditions.
Leachate generated in landfills and/or composting plants contains ammoniacal nitrogen and phenolic compounds that, if not properly treated or managed, can contaminate groundwater, soil, and air. Depending on the plant waste, it may contain micropollutants and/or pesticide active ingredients in small quantities from the plant material. Treating these effluents is complicated by their high concentration of salts and contaminants, as well as unpleasant odors and significant environmental impact.
Currently, there is no viable alternative for the use of these leachates. Some of them are incorporated into compost production, and the remainder is stored in ponds for natural evaporation. A very small amount of leachate is used as fertilizer. In addition to nutritional compounds, leachates from composted plant waste contain a large number of microorganisms that are beneficial to plants and the soil. Identifying the microorganisms found in compost and leachates can help us improve the composting process.
It has also been detected that there are microorganisms that are capable of degrading pesticide residues and lignocellulosic materials - stems, leaves and branches of agricultural and/or forestry origin.
The project's objective is to develop and demonstrate an integrated process for transforming leachate from composting plant waste into a biofertilizer for agricultural use.
- Name of coordinator/entity: Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organizations of Almería, COEXPHAL
- Postal address: AVENUE OF THE CANTINAS, 2. 04746. LA MOJONERA (ALMERÍA)
- Coordinator/entity email: victoria@coexphal.es
- Telephone: 687696989
- ASOCIACIÓN DE ORGANIZACIONES DE PRODUCTORES DE FRUTAS Y HORTALIZAS DE ALMERÍA, COEXPHAL
- Fundación Grupo Cajamar(aliciagonzalez@fundacioncajamar.com)
- Universidad de Almería (fsuarez@ual.es)
- Servicios Ambientales Las Chozas (jbescobar@gruposarch.es)
- ASOCIACIÓN DE ORGANIZACIONES DE PRODUCTORES DE FRUTAS Y HORTALIZAS DE ALMERÍA, COEXPHAL
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