SUSFERT – Developing multifunctional fertilisers for phosphorus and iron supply
CHALLENGE
Agriculture depends heavily on the use of non-renewable, resource-intense fertilisers to meet the ever rising demand for food and feed. The major fertiliser component phosphorus is mined and has been identified as a critical resource with 90% being imported into the EU. At the same time, there is a huge loss of nutrients from fertilisers in agriculture because they are often not available at the right amounts and/or at the right time to optimise plant growth.
SOLUTION
SUSFERT develops more sustainable, multifunctional fertilisers for phosphorus and iron supply fitting into existing production processes and EU agricultural practice. It combines bio-based and biodegradable coatings for controlled release, probiotics to increase nutrient availability and the renewable phosphorous source struvite. SUSFERT demonstrates fertiliser efficacy for major crops, evaluates the economic potential and sustainability of the tested products, ensures regulatory compliance and finally prepares market entry.
IMPACTS
The main expected impacts of SUSFERT are:
• Decrease dependency on mined phosphate rock by 40%
• Strengthen the circular economy by valorising waste- and by-products from wastewater treatment, bioethanol production and pulp and paper
• Reduce soil and water contamination by developing at least 4 novel fertiliser products
• Strengthen rural areas by establishing local value chains and feedstock sourcing
Development of all components and compound fertilisers is market driven, ensuring quick uptake in organic and conventional agriculture
Struvite: Phosphorus recovery for Bio-based fertilizers
/in News /by SUSFERTSUSFERT consortium members University of Antwerp, Groupe Roullier, Timac Agro, and Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) recently published a systematic comparison of commercially produced struvite looking at the quantities, qualities and soil-maize phosphorus availability in Science Direct. The publication analyses struvite from 30% of the 80 worldwide installations, and while current struvite production is limited, it demonstrates […]