Phyto-management; curing soil with industrial crops, utilising contaminated and saline land for industrial crop production

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove contaminants from the environment and in particular soils, has become an important approach in ecological engineering. However, contaminated lands are normally left fallow for a long period of time as there is a risk of bioaccumulation in food crops.

A relatively new area of phytoremediation is phytomanagement in which non-food high biomass yielding crops are used to reduce and control risks arising from soil pollution, while making a profitable and sustainable use of resources possible by extracting contaminants and valorising marketable biomass.

Considering the increasing demand of biomass and resulting potential land-use conflicts, the cultivation of industrial crops in contaminated soils offers great environmental benefits and new social and economic opportunities for primary producers, broader society and the entire bio-based value system.

Furthermore, this topic addresses phytoremediation techniques for salt-affected soils to better understand the potential of selected high-yielding industrial crops to restore soil fertility and ecosystem services, including in view of the reconversion to future uses (agriculture, recreation etc).

The high biomass yield (productivity) is an important aspect of the topic.

Proposals under this topic should:

• Test and optimise, validate and monitor the cultivation and production of high-yielding and resilient industrial crops to restore contaminated lands (by heavy metals or organic/inorganic pollutants) or remediate salt-affected soils in support of the biodiversity and climate objectives.
• Assess resource-efficient pathways in specific case studies for the valorisation and conversion of biomass and recovered compounds for high-value applications, linking with relevant bio-based industry actors, while taking into account the levels of pollution and/or/ salinisation and suitability of the crop for site phytomanagement[[Taking into account the local soil microbiomes and their contribution for crop phyto-management potentials.]].
• Identify and validate economic-viable value chains, end products and applications of bio-based products in which farmers play an active role and generate additional income.
• Ensure the minimisation of environmental impacts in the context of good agricultural practices and possible sanitary and other safety related implications through guidelines and Life Cycle Environmental Assessments.
• Include a task to closely cooperate with activities and projects funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, and other parallel projects funded e.g. under Horizon Europe., as well as with civil society (e.g. NGOs) to benefit from social innovation, creativity and engagement[[Especially as related to biodiversity enhancement, recreation and other eco-system services’ potentials.]].

Proposals must apply the concept of the 'multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of primary producers and other relevant actors in rural/post-industrial areas.

Proposals should also describe their contribution to the Specific CBE JU requirements, presented in section 2.2.3.1 and the Cross-cutting elements, highlighted in section 2.2.3.2 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2023[[CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2023 (https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents)]].(opens in new window)

Where relevant, proposals should seek links with and capitalise on the results of past and ongoing EU funded projects[[Proposals should consider ongoing and past projects, especially under BBI JU/CBE JU as well as H2020, LIFE but also HEU.]]