Circular bioeconomy in agriculture

Agriculture and industry produce large streams of organic and mineral waste that still hold carbon and nutrients. We test whether these materials can go back into production as soil amendments, substrates or fertilizers, and what they do to soil health, plant growth and the nutrient composition of crops.

Current and recent examples: biochar from the gasification of waste biomass as a sustainable soil amendment (with GÜBRETAŞ); steel slag as a soil amendment and fertilizer in crop production (with Matil); a biochar and perlite substrate made from soilless tomato greenhouse waste to replace imported coconut coir (with Mavruz Tarım, Kale Maden and NG Biyoteknoloji); a biofertilizer based on rice straw and lignocellulolytic bacteria for rice production; and the upcycling of the superabsorbent polymer and cellulose mixture used in diapers for agricultural use. Nutrient recovery from agricultural wastewater completes the loop.

What we have found

The first published result of this line is the biochar work: gasification biochar made from tomato crop residues carries salts and an alkaline pH straight out of the gasifier, but after pre-treatment it performs as a component of soilless seedling substrates. The same logic, characterize the waste, remove what harms the plant, then test it against the conventional material, guides the ongoing work on steel slag, greenhouse waste substrates and rice straw biofertilizers. The publications listed below carry the details.