The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.

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About project

 

Project title: Innovative production of organic fertilizers and substrates for growing seedlings (KK.01.1.1.04.0052)


European Structural and Investment Funds grant beneficiary: Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimir Prelog 1, 31 000 Osijek


Project partner:  University of Osijek Department of Biology, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek

 

EU fund: European Structural and Investment Funds 

 

Operational Programme: Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020

 

Total project buget: 7.326.749,73 HRK

 

Financed form the EU Fund: 5.089.138,20 HRK

 

Project Duration: 20th December 2019 – 20th December 2022 (36 months)

 

Short description of the project:

The project includes applied industrial research in TPP Energy and sustainable environment and Food and bioeconomy with impacts on PTPP Sustainable food production and processing and Environmentally friendly technologies, equipment and advanced materials of the Smart specialization strategy. The implementation also contributes to the objectives of the Partnership agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the European Commission for the use of EU structural and investment funds for growth and jobs in the period 2014-2020. (thematic objective 1) and the Operational program competitiveness and cohesion 2014-2020. (specific objective 1a1) by increasing market-oriented IRI activity and disseminating results to the business sector. In addition, the project is in line with the Innovation promotion strategy, the education, science and technology strategy and the Research infrastructure development plan.                                           


Increasing our own capacity to conduct top research and meet the needs of the economy is the main interest of the scientific organizations involved in the project. Consequently, researchers will increase the scope, quality and relevance of scientific publications in the field of biotechnical and natural sciences, intensify interdisciplinary research activities and improve the quality of teaching activities.


The analysis of the market established that there is a need for research results among the representatives of the economy who will be able to implement the project:

  • improvement of vegetable production technology (intensification of vegetable production by developing pelleted organic fertilizers for different soil types and different vegetable growing systems and by developing sustainable production of vegetable growing substrates),
  • improving the cultivation of flower seedlings and ornamental pots,
  • development of technologies for the production of compost, vermicompost, pelleted fertilizers and substrates for growing vegetable and flower seedlings (technological solutions will be developed and thus create preconditions for the development of a production branch that is completely underdeveloped in the Republic of Croatia). organic substances, ie humus in soils, environmental protection and quality waste management by controlled transformation of organic waste into pelleted organic fertilizers, composts, vermicomposts and substrates),
  • development of production and use of devices and equipment for composting and pelleting - the project will multiply the scope of composting and production of pelleted organic fertilizers and will increase the demand for composting systems (small, medium and large bioreactors) with a range of measuring control devices (sensors for temperature, humidity, aeration control),
  • Improving the technology of production of microbiological preparations that will be used as components and / or as conditioners in the production of compost, vermicompost, pelleted fertilizers and substrates.


This will be achieved by implementing the basic research and development phases of the project.


Objectives and expected results of the project (operations):


The aim of the project is to increase the innovative potential of scientific organizations by conducting applied research in TPP Energy and sustainable environment and Food and bioeconomy and transfer knowledge and technology to the business community focused on the production of new organic fertilizers and substrates for growing seedlings.


Members of the research team of the Beneficiary and partners during the implementation of the project will do:

  1. determine the actual availability of raw materials for organic fertilizers and the production of components, especially the quantity and seasonal availability dynamics
  2. build a system of economic valuation of raw materials
  3. build and network analytical and information capacities of modern raw material processing technologies
  4. investigate the basic principles of changes in the properties of raw materials by controlled biological degradation;
  5. develop optimal technologies for composting, vermicomposting and microbiological conditioning of available raw materials and their mixtures
  6. determine the types of microorganisms that will be used as conditioners of certain fertilizers and substrates
  7. make prototypes of pelleted organic fertilizers
  8. make prototypes of new substrates for growing different plant species
  9. evaluate the value of new organic fertilizers and substrates.


In addition to the transfer of technology to the business sector, the project will work towards achieving scientific and teaching excellence of the researchers involved and the transfer of knowledge and technology to scientists of research centers at the national and international level. Eleven scientific publications are planned to be published in scientific journals indexed on the "Web of Science" platform.

The implementation of the project will create scientific, economic and social values.