Description
This project aims to avoid or minimize the environmental impact that nitrogen fertilizers cause in the crop or growing fields. The project will focus on tomato crop in Vegas del Guadiana, Spain. It will develop controlled release fertilizer glasses of macro and micronutrients so that leaching is according to the absorption requirements of the tomato plant and no any other dissolving species can pass to groundwater and prevent contamination. Fertilizer glasses will be formulated according to the concentration ranges of macro- and micronutrients used for tomato crops by agglomeration spray particles of various glasses. Leaching rates will be adapted to the soil of this Spanish area in order to minimize the contamination of soil and groundwater. An experimental tomato area will be fertilized, and serve as the area where the growing and yielding of tomato plants will be studied. The improved environmental impact obtained will be calculated. The fertilizers glasses will then be enlarged to other types of crops.
Summary of project results
This project is focused on to avoid or minimize the environmental impacts that nitrogen fertilizers causes in the crop or growing fields. Tomato crop is selected in Vegas del Guadiana growing fields for research. In order to minimize this impact, this project proposes to develop controlled release fertilizer glasses of macro and micronutrients so that leaching is according to the requirements of absorption of the tomato plant and no any other dissolving species could pass to groundwater and then preventing contamination. Fertilizer glasses formulated according to the concentration ranges of N, P and K (macronutrients) S, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn and B (micronutrients) used for the tomato crop and the leaching rate will be controlled by addition of Si or by agglomeration-spray particles of various glasses . Leaching rates will be adapted to soils of Vegas del Guadiana in order to minimize eutrophication or contamination of soil and groundwater.
Summary of bilateral results