The MARIGREEN project will valorize residual materials from the BLUE sector, of which many are currently poorly utilized, by treating them with appropriate technology and applying in agriculture (GREEN sector).

Significant amounts of fertilizers applicable in organic growing are required to achieve 25% organic farmland in EU by 2030, as proposed in the F2F strategy. The project will study available residual materials from fish capture, brown algae industry, mussel industry and organic aquaculture.

Objectives

  • Obtain a well defined profile of a selection of BLUE residual materials so that appropriately chosen processing may provide GREEN fertilizers/biostimulants able to enhance plant growth and resilience.
  • Develop, by relevant treatment technologies (grinding, mixing, composting, pelletizing, extraction), well-balanced fertilizers and efficient biostimulants for various purposes in organic horticulture.
  • Develop, by relevant impregnation technologies, well balanced biochar-based fertilizers for various purposes in organic horticulture.
  • Examine whether commercial organic fertilizers and biostimulants can become economically viable and present attractive market opportunities.
MARIGREEN PROJECT
MARIGREEN PROJECT

Activities

Relevant materials will be provided by the Scandinavian industry partners. The materials will be chemically characterized and compounds with potential biostimulant effects on crop plants will be investigated, while concurrently checking for possible biotoxicity. The chemically profiled effects of these materials on plant growth will be assessed, both in a pre-processing state and after appropriate treatment is applied, e.g. extraction and/or composting.

The project also includes an innovative treatment of organic fish waste from aquaculture, which will expedite approval of such materials in growing media. Adjoining the effort is a study on impregnation technology to utilize biochar, which is in itself useful for soil amendment, after impregnation with extracts of BLUE materials as a carrier of nutrients and other valuable compounds into agricultural soil.

To proof the concept, promising materials (assessed from chemical characterization) will be tested in real growing conditions in greenhouse and eld. The logistics and related costs required for establishing a relevant value chain for producing fertilizers and/or biostimulants will be assessed by interviewing collaborating industry partners and surveying potential customers.

newsletter

No. 8 - AUGUST 2024

In this issue:

  • Why blue compost?
  • The composting experiment
  • Results
  • Who we are & contact info