The growing use of compost and solid organic fertilizers in agriculture is creating a need for more precise tools to assess their safety, agronomic performance and added value. However, compost-based products can vary significantly depending on their raw materials and production processes, making it difficult to provide reliable, crop-specific recommendations based only on standard characterization.
This limits the ability of producers to differentiate their products, ensure safe application and adapt fertilization strategies to the specific needs of each crop, customer or agricultural context.
To address this need, researchers from the Centre de Desenvolupaments Biotecnològics Agroalimentaris at Universitat de Lleida have developed AgroEcoTech, a set of analytical tools and services designed to characterize compost-based fertilizers, evaluate their biological effects and support more personalized recommendations for their use in agriculture.
AgroEcoTech is an analytical service platform designed to assess the safety, quality and agronomic value of compost and solid organic fertilizers. The technology combines detailed characterization of raw materials, including inorganic element analysis, with specific biological assays to evaluate their suitability for different agricultural applications.
The platform includes germination tests in selected plant species, in vitro crop assays and greenhouse pot trials to monitor the effects of fertilizers on plant growth, stress response and crop performance. These analyses make it possible to generate more precise recommendations for specific crops and growing conditions.
This technology has been validated on a laboratory scale.
Benefits:
- Detailed characterization of compost and solid organic fertilizers.
- Crop-specific recommendations for fertilizer application.
- Assessment of plant growth, stress response and agronomic performance.
- Evaluation of potential toxicity in plant and animal model organisms.
- Support for safer and more personalized organic fertilizer products.
- Added value and differentiation for compost and fertilizer producers.
The represented institution is looking for a collaboration that leads to commercial exploitation of the presented invention.
Institution: Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
TRL: 4
Protection Status: Know-how
Contact: Begoña Iborra | biborra@viromii.com