The Soil O-live project, coordinated by the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, has taken a further step towards its objective of regenerating olive grove soils by launching two field trials using electrochemical techniques. The first trial, which is already fully operational, is testing the use of electrokinetic transport to mobilise and recover copper retained in the soil as a result of the use of traditional fungicides. Meanwhile, the second trial, which is due to start in a few weeks’ time, will seek to test the use of ozone generated in situ to degrade organic pesticides.
Both research projects have demonstrated their effectiveness in the laboratory and will therefore be transferred to an experimental farm belonging to the Soil O-live project, located in Santisteban del Puerto (Jaén), where photovoltaic energy is used to power the system.
Professor Cristina Sáez Jiménez, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, together with her team comprising Cristina Navas Higuero, Bryan Andrés Tiban Anrango, Manuel Andrés Rodrigo and Engracia Lacasa, is leading these trials, which also benefit from the collaboration of the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén and the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS-CSIC); these institutions, together with the University of Castilla-La Mancha, form part of the international consortium for the Soil O-live project.
The first electroremediation trial involves the application of controlled, low-intensity electric fields to remediate agricultural soil contaminated with copper-based fungicides, whilst evaluating the use of biodegradable chelating agents, such as EDDS, to increase the mobilisation of the heavy metal. Broadly speaking, the research aims to determine whether it is possible to transport the copper to specific points in the soil for subsequent extraction and recovery. This experiment has already begun, and the first results are expected after the summer.
As for the second trial, it will test the technical feasibility of chemical oxidation using gaseous ozone generated electrochemically. This trial aims to degrade and directly remove common pesticides, such as glyphosate, from the soil. In this way, ozone will be generated on-site and on-demand using photovoltaic energy, and injected into the soil to destroy organic pollutants without leaving secondary residues, whilst preserving the health and functionality of the soil ecosystem.
This research is being carried out as part of the restoration phase of the Soil O-live project, whose mission is to improve soil health by providing innovative solutions to critical problems that have been identified, such as the presence of persistent pollutants and the loss of biodiversity in Andalusian olive groves.
Source: Mercacei, News Section (15/07/2026)
