About

Sustainability and competitiveness of European agriculture are intrinsically related to the efficient use of water, fertilisers and Plant Protection Products (PPP), for optimising plants needs while minimising the environmental impacts.

The joint effort of minimising wastewater, and optimising the use of nitrogen-and phosphorus-based fertilisers and PPPs is aligned to the so-called Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the context of the circular economy, where issues such as efficiency and resilience of water use are mandatory.

Excessive application of fertilisers and Plant Protection Products (PPP) is still responsible for concentrations beyond guideline values in around one third of ground  water bodies in Europe. It is necessary to improve monitoring capacity to identify pollution hotspots and to develop effective action programmes. Understanding how nutrient NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and PPP concentrations (organophosphates/neonicotinoids) affect fertigations schedule/programs and filtering treatments seems mandatory.

The objectives of AGRINuPeS are:

• Increasing the efficiency and resilience of water uses.
• Establishing an integrated feedback control (water/ nutritive solution) with ion selective optical sensors (NPK) for precision fertigation.
• Monitoring and reducing soil and water pollution due to excessive fertilisers and PPP (biosensors).
• Maximising the recirculation of drainage water before discharge (leaching).

Results

• Better use and protection of European natural resources.
• Improvement of environmental water quality and protection of human health.
• Reduction of operational and energy cost.
• Industrial boosting of the European water technology sector.
• Contribution to expand Water Research, Development and Innovation (Water RDI).