Over a period of 18 months, the study will analyse the potential of this organic material to improve the fertility and carbon content of olive-growing soils as part of the research activities of the European Soil O-Live project.
The University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén has launched, in collaboration with Genia Bioenergy, a new line of research aimed at assessing the agronomic potential of the solid fraction of digested material from biogas plants as an organic soil amendment for olive groves. The collaboration will run for the next 18 months and will enable this solution to be tested on experimental plots as part of the European Soil O-Live project.
The agreement between the two organisations aims to address one of the main challenges facing Mediterranean olive groves: the scarcity of organic matter in the soil. The research will analyse whether this material, a by-product of the anaerobic digestion process used in biogas plants, can help restore organic carbon and improve soil fertility, whilst promoting a circular economy model that enables agricultural and livestock waste to be reused and reintegrated into the production system.
During the project presentation, Carmen Martínez García, Director of the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI) at the University of Jaén, emphasised the institution’s dedication to knowledge transfer and applied innovation. In this regard, she pointed out that this agreement will enable research aimed at optimising bioenergy processes and adding value to products to be carried out – a strategic area for moving towards more sustainable agriculture.
Víctor Díaz Portellano, head of the Agro division at Genia Bioenergy, explained that the aim is to demonstrate the value of digestate as a source of organic matter capable of improving soil structure and fertility. He also noted that, based on the results obtained with arable crops and thanks to collaboration with the Soil O-Live project, it was deemed appropriate to conduct these trials in olive groves to evaluate the responses of both the soil and the crop. Furthermore, he emphasised that the experimental design will demonstrate that this is a safe material with no negative environmental or developmental impacts.
Antonio Manzaneda, the project’s principal investigator and a professor of ecology at the University of Jaén, emphasised that this research aims to highlight the added value provided by energy recovery from organic waste. “We are not doing anything new. The organic matter that used to go straight back into the fields now passes through a biogas plant first, generating renewable energy, before returning to the soil with improved properties”, he explained.
He also emphasised that the resulting digestate offers significant agronomic advantages, being a stabilised material with lower phytotoxicity and virtually no odour. These characteristics facilitate its agricultural use and help improve the social acceptance of this type of soil amendment. He pointed out that improving soil quality is one of the major challenges facing Mediterranean olive groves, and a key focus of the European Soil O-Live project.
The trials will begin next September on various olive groves included in the European project, where the research team already has information on soil characteristics and management systems. The study will cover both traditional and intensive olive groves and will carry out continuous monitoring of soil health indicators, including basal respiration, carbon and water fluxes, microbial activity using the MicroResp® system, bulk density, carbon content and various physico-chemical parameters, as well as assessing the crop’s yield response.
Prior to application, all material supplied by Genia Bioenergy will undergo the necessary analyses to verify that it meets the requirements set out in Royal Decree 1051/2022 on sustainable nutrition in agricultural soils, thereby guaranteeing its safety and quality.
The research will be led by Professor Antonio José Manzaneda Ávila, from the Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology at the University of Jaén, alongside Professor Julio Antonio Calero González and technical staff from INUO and the University of Jaén. On behalf of Genia Bioenergy, the project will be coordinated by Víctor Díaz Portellano and supervised by Bernat Chuliá Peris, the company’s Director of Projects and Development.
Through this new collaboration, the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils continues to strengthen its research activities focusing on soil health and the sustainability of olive groves, promoting innovative solutions that facilitate the transition towards more efficient, resilient and environmentally friendly production models.
Source: Diario Digital UJA
