Project Objectives

THE PROBLEM: Mineral deficiencies are potential problems in agricultural systems. But highly soluble and synthetic mineral inputs are prohibited in organic farming system. There is lack of slowly degraded mineral nutrient fertilizers in the market. A side effect of sustained heavy P fertilizer additions can be the accumulation and introduction into the human food chain of heavy metal contaminants contained in fertilizers. Phosphate fertilizer use has caused significant increases soil Cadmium and Uranium levels. There are no any other high P content (15-18%) material known than apatite minerals, which is either in phosphate rock or bone char formation.

The overall OBJECTIVE of the PROTECTOR technology is to realize the innovative integrated thermal inactivation (carbonization) and biotechnological recycling of high P containing organic waste of food grade non Specified Risk Material bone meal and upgrade it into a high added value and safe biotechnological crop protection and nutrition product for environmentally friendly horticultural cultivations. The developed technology utilizes animal bone char for microbiological carrier and food industrial by-products as nutrients during the solid substrate fermentation and formulation process. Natural soil borne microbiological strains are selected for entrapment into the internal sphere of the solid carrier and formulated in a way that long term storage of the substance will be viable on ambient temperature. The method and product provides enhanced survival of the protected microorganism during introduction into the soil.