New Composting Technology for On-farm Nutrient and Carbon Recycling to Organic Soils and High-Value Crops (ComCrop)

Demand for organic vegetables & high-value crops increases rapidly. To meet this demand, while sustaining consumers’ trust in production, organic plant-based fertilizers are needed, but not available yet. Meanwhile soil degradation progresses and cannot be mitigated by the current solutions due to imbalance between long-term biological and short-term economic sustainability. The main barriers to overcome this is lack of: a) on-farm technology to sustainably and efficiently recycle organic biomass into hygienic fertilizers and stable soil-improvers b) proof-of-concept of the use and longer-term effects of plant-based fertilizers and soil-improvers. The AIM of ComCrop is to increase recirculation of on-farm materials for improved resource use efficiency, soil fertility and carbon storage. This will be achieved through development/testing of a new farm-scale compost technology and of its products of plant-based composts and mineral fertilizers in intensive vegetable production, while increasing knowledge of the use of the products and their medium/long-term effects on systems’ functioning. ComCrop will open new opportunities of on-farm recycling of waste, precision dosage of fertilizers, and compost application beneficial for soils. The outcome will be technology and guidance suited for large-volume crop producers, removing dependency on conventional animal manure; and relevant e.g. for self-sufficient communities bringing credibility and long-term sustainability to farmers. Project period: 01.01.2020- 31.12.2023 Funding: RDD5, ICROFS, GUDP and project partners Project partners: AU-FOOD, ComFerm ApS, SEGES