Project title and acronym: New soil improvement products for reducing the pollution of soils and waters and revitalizing the soil system „BIOREWIT”

Excessive development of agricultural production mostly connected with the use of mineral fertilizers and synthetic pesticides caused in many areas  a lot of threats in soil quality and its biological activity. Because of that all over the world soil productivity and fertility is now decreasing. Generally natural fertility decrease is estimated at 2.5% a year but  with agricultural use it follows thousand times faster.
Intensive glasshouse production is mainly located on small areas so in Poland as in all Europe, what is a pollution risk of soil, ground water, environment and danger to health of people and animals. Soilless cultivation methods are commonly use in glasshouse production based on the rockwool mate as a growing medium. It is not biodegradable substrate what makes a problem with its decomposition and is not environmentally friendly. To avoid unfavorable influence of agricultural activity on the environment  project"New soil improvement products for reducing the pollution of soils and waters and revitalizing the soil system - BIOREWIT” was prepared, realized in Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice and Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Lodz within the confines of LIFE10 ENV/PL/661 Programme. The project is financed by EU Commission and National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

PROJECT LOCATION: Skierniewice, Poland

BUDGET INFO :

Total amount: 1 853 195,00 EUR

% EU Co-funding: 50%

% NFOŚiGW Co-funding 45%

DURATION: Start: 01/01/2012 - End: 31/12/2014

PROJECT’S IMPLEMENTORS:

Coordinating Beneficiary: Research Institute of Horticulture

Associated Beneficiary: Institute for Sustainable Technologies

BACKGROUND and AIMS:

Agriculture is one of the main sources of environmental pollution. The aim of the project is to reduce soil and water pollution and revitalizing soil ecosystem by:

1. Utilization of natural fibrous wastes for producing biodegradable soilless substrates to reduce cultivation of greenhouse crops on non biodegradable rockwool.
2. Reduction of mineral nutrient emission from drain water of greenhouse soilless culture by utilizing drain water
3. Reduction of the pollution of soil and water through replacement of mineral fertilizers by eco-activators and enrichment of soil in the organic matter.

MAIN EU POLICY(IES) TARGETED:

• Soil protection –Soil Thematic Strategy
• Water protection - Council Directive 91/676/EEC
• Reduction of non biodegradable wastes and limitation necessity of landfill use for waste storage
• Directive 99/31/EC

MAIN ACTIVITIES:

The innovative aspects of the actions include:

• Implementation of new biodegradable soilless substrates based on natural fibrous wastes for greenhouse cultivation
• Implementation of new eco-activators received trough impregnation of natural wastes with drainage water from greenhouse soilless cultivation
• Implementation of: 1) new eco-activators made from processed legume plants and 2) new biodegradable fleece produced from natural organic wastes and legume plants

EXPECTED RESULTS:

1. Reduction of the pollution of water and soil trough replacement of mineral fertilizers by new soil eco-activators
2. Elimination of nutrient emission from drain water of greenhouse open soilless culture to the ground and surface water
3. Enrichment of soil in organic matter trough application of eco-activators and organic fertilizers made from organic wastes
4. Reduction of non biodegradable wastes from soilless greenhouse production
5. Improvement of quality of horticultural products.