Project description
Testing solutions to restore soil biota diversity
Soil biota diversity and rich-in-nutrients soil combined with plant protection from pathogens are crucial to the glasshouse horticulture industry. The EU-funded MICROREAL project proposes a microbial formulation soil conditioner that restores soil biota diversity, reverses the effects of intensive land use, degrades persistent pesticide residues and protects plants against diseases. The product, which is being tested by farmers in Turkey, is envisaged to lessen pesticide and fertiliser impacts, reduce their use, restrict operation costs and increase yield production by half. The aim is also to encourage fast transition to a sustainable, integrated and more lucrative horticulture industry. The project will conduct a feasibility study examining Europe’s horticulture industry and the economic benefits for end users.
Objective
NGB has developed and brought to TRL6 its MICROREAL microbial formulation soil conditioner. It degrades persistent pesticide residues, restores soil biota diversity, increases the availability of essential nutrients, stimulates the natural defences of plants against pathogens, and reverses the damage done to land by decades of intensive agriculture and horticulture. MICROREAL is targeted at the intensive glasshouse horticulture industry and is for growers wishing to cut pesticide and fertiliser inputs, cut operation costs, and shift rapidly to a sustainable, integrated and more profitable horticulture. We have carried out limited trials in commercial glasshouses used to produce high value salad vegetables at several farms in Turkey, with the following results:
- eliminates organochlorine residues to below detectable levels within 48h
- triggers induced systemic resistance in plants against pathogens
- sequesters iron ions and inhibits the proliferation of pathogenic soil fungi
- lowers the total amount of pesticides applied to glasshouse crops
- increases the availability of N, P and K in soils. Growers can cut artificial fertiliser applications by up to 50%
- Yield increases of 30-50%
NGB seek Phase I funding for a feasibility study that will examine the market and commercial viability of MICROREAL, prior to maturation in a future Phase II. The feasibility study will produce:
- A market study on the European glasshouse horticulture industry, its geographic centres, main products, costs and pesticide use
- An analysis of competitor microbial products for soil remediation and fertility restoration
- A quantification of the economic benefit of MICROREAL to end users
- The scale-up needed at NGB and the geographic expansion needed of our value chain to cover European and Asian markets
- A work plan and budget for a MICROREAL Phase II
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
34306 BASAKSEHIR ISTANBUL
Türkiye
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.