Final Report Summary - ECOBUG (Development of an innovative industrial bioreacting and fermentation process producing an organic insect repellent-fertiliser for ecological farming) The European organic agricultural sector includes 228 533 organic producers and operators, mainly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which use together 8.5 million hectares of certified land for organic production based on Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) 2009 data. The ECOBUG project addresses the problem of organic plant producers that costs for insecticides are up to 200 % higher in price than in conventional plant production and that organic fertiliser or soil conditioner, such as manure, have great environmental impact. Brassica vegetables (cabbage, Savoy cabbage, cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale) are important crops in Europe and the total amount of area used for growth is 452 237 hectares with a total production of 11.5 million tonnes per year, which is 16.5 % of world's total production, based on Food and Agricultural Organisation Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) 2008 data. Organic market gardeners of brassica vegetables are threatened by the cabbage root fly, which causes great damages in crop yield. The damage is caused by the larvae's of the flies, which eat on the roots of the plant after hatching from the eggs of the flies and thereby causing the fade of the plant. Today, only the use of nets can prevent the flies from laying down their eggs. Conventional plant producers solve the problem by applying synthetic insecticides that kill the larvae, but these products are prohibited in organic production. Defacto, there exists no product to control or repel the adult cabbage root fly from laying down its eggs neither in organic nor in conventional market gardening. Supplying enough nutrients for plant growing in a competitive manner is another challenge for organic plant producers. Inorganic fertilisers or sewage sludge are prohibited. Organic fertilisers are naturally occurring organic materials such as manure, worm castings, compost, seaweed, guano. Today, manure is commonly used, but its application is labour intensive, occurs separately from the application of organic insecticides and moreover has a strong environmental impact through emission of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, through contamination of waters by flooding and through smelliness. The ECOBUG project focuses to support the organic agricultural sector by solving all three problems and offering: 1. an organic pest control; 2. an environment-friendly organic fertilisation; and 3. an economic benefit to its SME members. We have identified a cost-effective smell-free and solid organic fertiliser that is easy to store and transport and that can be applied similar to a solid inorganic fertiliser. In addition, we have identified an organic insect repellent agent against the cabbage root fly, which can be applied together with the fertiliser. Project context and objectives: The overall project objective was to develop all necessary technologies for the production of a combined smell-free solid organic insect repellent-fertiliser in form of pellets ('ECOBUG pellets'), including the validation of the insect-repellent activity and the fertiliser effect of 'ECOBUG pellets' in field trials. The production of smell free fertiliser biomass is based on anaerobic digestion of manure in a bioreactor and subsequent drying. The production of insect repellent biomass is based on selected cyanobacteria strains that are proven to have insect repellent properties against the cabbage root fly and that are mass produced in a photobioreactor with subsequent drying into cyanobacteria flakes. The final ECOBUG pellet product includes the mixing of solid fertiliser biomass with small amounts of cyanobacteria flakes and subsequent extrusion, pelletising, drying and coating. If required other nutrients might be added. Project results: The ECOBUG project focuses to support the organic agricultural sector by solving all three problems and offering an organic pest control, an environment-friendly organic fertiliser and an economic benefit to its SME members. We have identified a cost-effective smell-free organic fertiliser. It is made from digested manure combined with an organic insect repellent agent against the cabbage root fly. One application serves both purposes. All project objectives to develop all necessary technologies for the production of a combined product in form of pellets ('ECOBUG pellets') have been met. Validation of the insect-repellent activity and the fertiliser effect of 'ECOBUG pellets' were proven during field trials at two locations in 2011. The results exceed the first expectations deducted from greenhouse trials carried in 2010. Yield was increased by 28 % for white cabbage and by 50 % for kohlrabi. No damage due to cabbage root flies was observed. No cabbage fly eggs were found near the cabbage. Further incubation tests and greenhouse tests were carried out to determine the effect of addition of nutrients and different insect repellent. This work has demonstrated that the ECOBUG product can be kept in storage up to one year without any deterioration of the performance. Potential Impact: The final ECOBUG product is a combined smell-free solid insect repellent fertiliser for the organic farming of cabbage and other crops of the brassica family. As fertiliser, it can be also used for growing other crops. Moreover, it can be designed according to the need of selected crops by combining different ingredients. Our target is also to further develop the product to cover more pests. The ECOBUG pellet production might be operated by livestock farmers as site-business, since it is a rather simple process technology. Livestock farmers should combine the ECOBUG pellet production line with an anaerobic digestion biogas plant. Alternative the ECOBUG pellet production line can be offered as new service. The cyanobacterial mass production facility will be for the benefit of algal farmers through the sell of the cyanobacteria flakes. The organic agricultural society will have a synergetic benefit. Organic market gardeners represented by our associations will benefit from the ECOBUG product through increase income from: 1. increased crop yield; 2. reduced costs for insecticides; 3. saving in labour costs (one application); 4. reduced emission of greenhouse gases; 5. no smelliness. Organic livestock farmers (primarily cattle and pig farmers) represented by the associations will benefit from the anaerobic digestion of manure through additional income from: 1. production and use / sell of energy in form of biogas, heat and/or electricity; 2. production and sell of dried digested manure, a value added product made out of waste; 3. no costs for agricultural waste management. Organic livestock farmers (primarily cattle and pig farmers) represented by the associations will benefit from the ECOBUG pellet production Line through additional income from: 1. sell of the ECOBUG product to organic market gardener; 2. no costs for agricultural waste management. The concept is developed for organic farming and organic production, but it is also applicable for conventional farming and production. We expect to sell the ECOBUG product for EUR 50 per ton. The total ECOBUG production plant (anaerobic digestion, ECOBUG pellet production line and cyanobacteria flakes production) is estimated with EUR 3.5 million. The supplier SMEs will benefit through the sell of equipment. The ECOBUG project will generate in total EUR 190 million through sales of the ECOBUG product and sales of equipment within 5 years after project start. Our associations Felleskjopet Agri SA (Norway), Naturland - Verband für ökologischen Landbau e.V. (Germany) and Lithuanian association of ecological agriculture 'GAJA' (Lithuania) will secure broad dissemination of ECOBUG's project results to our SME members with Germany as biggest market, Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) as entry market and Lituania with excess to the eastern countries. Since Naturland is also certifying and standardisation body, we have all competences needed to meet the criteria for organic products and production. To form a production and supply chain to build a pilot process plant, we have built a consortium of SME companies with complimentary competence and skills that has the potential to develop, supply or integrate off shelf equipment to manufacture the total ECOBUG production chain. Bioskiva AS (Norway) will assemble the Anaerobic Digestion Biogas Plant and be the start up producer of the fertiliser component. Siegfried Kriesten Garten- und Landschaftsbau GmbH (Germany) will participate in assemble the photobioreactor and be the start up producer of cyanobacteria flakes. Haswell Moulding Technologies United Kingdom (UK) benefits by the sales of extrusion equipment and installations of the process line. Coopaman S.C.L (Spain) will field-test the product and will benefit from access to the product and license income through the associations. Research and technological development (RTD) performers involved are the University of West Hungary (Hungary) with its expertise in cyanobacteria taxonomies and entomology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (Germany) with its expertise in bioreactor technologies and the skills required to develop and optimise the production of manure and cyanobacteria flakes. Nor-Tek Teknologisenter AS (Norway) with its expertise in process engineering, sensor technique and industrial computing required for developing the ECOBUG pellet production line. Project website: http://www.ecobug.eu/
