Fertilisers, biostimulants and pesticides are vital input materials for crop production, but conventional agrochemicals have low bioavailability and low precision, leading to overuse of these products and causing significant economic losses and negative impacts on the environment and on human safety. In this context, AGRO4AGRI’s objective is to develop and demonstrate SSbD agrochemical solutions for plant nutrition and protection, in particular, nano and biobased controlled delivery fertilisers and plant biostimulants for enhanced nutrient use efficiency, as well as target-specific biopesticides based on RNAi technology.
AGRO4AGRI's specific objectives include the development of advanced delivery systems of fertilisers based on inorganic and organic nanoparticles, as well as target-specific nematicides based on microencapsulated dsRNA. These solutions will be developed under the SSbD framework and their efficacy will be demonstrated in real life case studies (TRL5-6). Additionally, the commercial viability of the product prototypes will be demontrated, aiming to stimulate investment for the long-term growth of project.
AGRO4AGRI's main expected impacts are:
- Increasing the release time of fertilisers by developing slow and controlled delivery systems with a slow-release of nutrients up to 30 days, leading to a reduction in the use of nutrient equivalents, application cycles and agrochemicals run off in to the soil and groundwater.
- Reduce the fertilizer equivalent inputs by 40%: 20% by delivery systems and 20% by reduction from Plant Biostimulants compared with conventional treatments without affecting crop yields and quality.
- Reduce nitrogen losses (and emissions) as well as the use of water during fertiliser production, through the application of nanofertilisers and slow delivery systems in compbination with plant biostimulants. It is expected to achieve an increase in Nitrogen Use Efficiency of >20%.
- Achieve more environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable agricultural practices against pests by developing species-specific RNA interference as a pest control agent. It is expected to achieve a reduction of at least 50% of the target pathogen in field trials.
This project integrates social sciences and humanities to examine how technological innovation in sustainable agrochemicals can be made more socially responsible and better aligned with public values. The activities carried aim to help AGRO4AGRI researchers reflect on the ethical, social and environmental dimension of their work.
