Participants
University of Almeria
Contacts
José María Fernández Sevilla (jfernand@ual.es)
Funds:
Junta de Andalucía. Convocatoria de subvenciones a «proyectos de I+D+i» universidades y entidades públicas de investigación. (P20_00800)
Current Situation:
Completed
Summary
The objective of the VALIMA project is to develop and demonstrate an integrated process for transforming leachate from the composting of plant waste into biostimulants and/or biopesticides for use in agriculture, using microalgae. The aim is to improve the profitability and sustainability of food production by the agricultural sector, in addition to offering an alternative to current vegetable waste management systems, as well as generating new tools to improve production and crop protection. All this through the development of bioprocesses based on microalgae that use simple and robust technologies for an unassisted operation. These types of processes are especially interesting for areas with high agricultural production, where small and medium-sized populations are normally located, and where there is a high availability of land and optimal environmental conditions, both for agricultural production and for microalgae. Through its implementation, different problems could be solved simultaneously, such as: (i) reduction of the cost of managing vegetable leachate for farmers, (ii) possibility of implementing new processes and job opportunities in rural environments, (iii) reduction of environmental problems and social rejection associated with plant leachate, (iv) increase in the availability of microalgae biomass for various applications, (v) improvement in the sustainability and profitability of agricultural production.
Objetives.
Development of new photobioreactors and processing technologies aimed at the purification and recovery of leachate from plant residues in the province of Almería.