ERA-NET: BlueBio - Sustainable utilization of MARIne resources to foster GREEN plant production in Europe

The MARIGREEN project aimed at upgrading poorly utilised marine residual materials to produce fertilizers and biostimulants for certified organic agriculture. Researchers and industry partners from Romania, Norway, Greece, and Denmark set four main objectives: (1) to select suitable marine residues to obtain well-balanced fertilizers and effective biostimulants for various crops in horticulture; (2) to develop methods for producing these types of fertilizers and biostimulants using different material treatments; (3) to evaluate both in greenhouse and field the effects of fertilizers and biostimulants on strawberry and lettuce; (4) to assess the economic conditions necessary to establish a sustainable production of fertilizers and biostimulants accessible to growers throughout Europe. Based on their chemical composition, especially the content of macronutrients, micronutrients, fatty acids, and amino acids, the following residual materials were selected as sources of plant nutrients and biostimulants: fish heads and backbones, fish sludge from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), residues from chemical extraction of rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) leftovers. These materials were processed using appropriate methods and various products were obtained, including: (1) dried and ground fish residues; (2) pellets based on fish and rockweed residues; (3) two types of marine-derived compost; (4) two types of compost tea; (5) wood-based biochar impregnated with fish sludge; (7) fish sludge filtrated with lignicellulose. The project provided significant knowledge that will be useful for the further development of marine-derived fertiliser products. Several products had similar or positive effects compared to commercial products on the growth and development of strawberry and/or lettuce. The supply of marine residual materials in Norway and Denmark is substantial, especially from processing of whitefish. There are currently no value chains in these countries utilizing such residues for organic fertilizing products. Meetings and interviews conducted with stakeholders in the potential value chain in Norway and Denmark, including seafood producers, organic fertilizer manufacturers, and organic farmers, showed that there is interest for exploring commercial opportunities both on the seller side and on the buyer side. Policy development and initiatives in the EU also point to an increasing demand for organic sources of nutrients for fertilizing. The economic analysis conducted in the project showed that the economic feasibility to establish a new value chain for marine residues targeted for organic fertilizers is challenging. Current market prices are not conducive to create a profitable value chain. However, this may change in the coming years due to changes in policy and market conditions in the EU.

MARIGREEN-prosjektet har bragt blå og grønn sektor i Norge ett skritt nærmere hverandre. Gjennom flere nettmøter har aktører som produserer store volum med marint restråstoff, og aktører som produserer organiske gjødselvarer, møttes og fått en større forståelse for råvarer, logistikk, prosessering og kostnader og inntektsmuligheter. I den forstand har prosjektet lagt et kunnskapsgrunnlag som gjør det enklere for næringsaktører å vurdere muligheter for kommersialisering og verdiskaping. Prosjektet har gitt norske partnere et større internasjonalt nettverk, som vi vil forsøke å bygge videre på gjennom felles søknader i årene framover. Prosjektet har hatt en omfattende publiseringsaktivitet, og gitt mye ny og viktig kunnskap om marine restråstoff som ressurs for gjødselproduksjon. Saltinnhold er en viktig utfordring som betyr mer i områder med mindre nedbørsoverskudd og mindre tilgang på ferskvann enn i Norge. Dette må vi undersøke videre framover. Animalske biprodukt er foreløpig ikke omfattet av EUs regelverk for CE-sertifisert organisk gjødsel, og dette hemmer lansering av en balansert marin gjødsel. Det er ønskelig å kombinere materiale av fisk og makroalger da dette utfyller hverandre næringsmessig. Ved å konvertere avfall fra marin industri til verdifulle produkter har MARIGREEN bidratt til å utvikle en sirkulær økonomi, redusere avfall og miljøforurensning, samtidig som ressurseffektiviteten økes.

The MARIGREEN project will valorise residual materials from the BLUE sector, of which many are currently poorly utilised, by treating them with appropriate technology and applying in agriculture (GREEN sector). Significant amounts of fertilisers applicable in organic growing are required to achieve 25% organic farmland in EU by 2030, as proposed in the F2F strategy. The project will study available residual materials from fish capture, brown algae industry, mussel industry and organic aquaculture. Relevant materials will be provided by five Scandinavian industry partners. The materials will be chemically characterised and compounds with potential biostimulant effects on crop plants will be investigated, while concurrently checking for possible biotoxicity. The chemically profiled effects of these materials on plant growth will be assessed, both in a pre-processing state and after appropriate treatment is applied, e.g. extraction and/or composting. The project also includes an innovative treatment of organic fish waste from aquaculture, which will expedite approval of such materials in growing media. Adjoining the effort is a study on impregnation technology to utilise biochar, which is in itself useful for soil amendment, after impregnation with extracts of BLUE materials as a carrier of nutrients and other valuable compounds into agricultural soil. To proof the concept, promising materials (assessed from chemical characterisation) will be tested in real growing conditions in greenhouse and field. The logistics and related costs required for establishing a relevant value chain for producing fertilisers and/or biostimulants will be assessed by interviewing collaborating industry partners and surveying potential customers. The project will mobilize human resources across national borders to promote researcher skills and competencies and create coherent dissemination actions delineating conditions, interests and potential opportunities in the BLUE and GREEN sectors.