Circular economy and sustainability
ADVANCED NANO ENCAPSULATION OF BIO-BASED PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS FOR A CIRCULAR AND SUSTAINABLE VITICULTURE
VINNY
Motivation
Viticulture is a key sector in the EU, both economically and culturally, but faces major challenges due to its dependence on agrochemicals to combat fungal and bacterial diseases affecting vines. Pathogens, such as Plasmopara viticola and Botrytis cinerea, are on the increase due to climate change, reducing grape production and quality. Intensive use of pesticides and fertilisers has resulted in high costs and environmental and health concerns, prompting a transition towards more sustainable practices, such as organic wine production.
This is why AITEX is developing functional agrotextiles, made from plant fibres, that will retain moisture and nutrients in the soil, improving plant health and promoting long-term sustainability. These agrotextiles will allow a controlled release of biofertilisers, contributing to productivity and increasing the humus content in the soil.
Objectives
The main objective of VINNY is the development of sustainable and low-cost nano-formulated biopesticides (nanoBPs) and biofertilisers (nanoBFs) to contribute to more resilient vineyard systems. The application of VINNY’s nanoformulations will contribute to the definitive shift from intensive to sustainable agriculture in viticulture, on a global scale.
The specific objectives of VINNY are listed below:
- Identify and exploit new bioactive agents as biopesticides (BPs).
- Develop biofertilisers (BFs) based on nutrient-rich biochar from solid waste and blood waste from the meat industry.
- Bioactive platforms: nanoencapsulation of agrotextiles BP/BF development.
- Validate in vitro, in planta and in the field the nanoformulated BPs and BFs vs. related standards.
- Provide safety and risk assessment, short, medium and long term life cycle analysis (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC) and safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) approach for project implementation.
Expected results
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Identify and exploit new bioactive agents as biopesticides (BPs).
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Develop biofertilisers (BFs) based on nutrient-rich biochar from solid waste and blood waste in the meat industry.
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Bioactives’ platforms: nanoencapsulation of BF/BP agrotextiles development.
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Validate in vitro, in planta and in field the nanoformulated BPs and BFs vs. related standards.
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Provide safety and risk assessment, short, medium- and long-term Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach for project implementation.
Grant number: 101130039
Programme: Horizon Europe
Period of execution: June 2024 – May 2028
Status: In progress
Entity: Europea Union
Funded by the European Union under the GA number 101130039 – VINNY project.
These contents and opinions are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and can in no way be taken to reflect the position of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
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R&D AREAS
New high-performance functionalised materials
Circular economy and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing, smart textiles and digitalisation
High value-added solutions for strategic markets
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