As the EU is confronted with profound agriculture and environmental challenges, the development and adoption of more effective, safer and greener alternatives for crop protection is becoming increasingly critical, thus reducing the impact of current pesticides on human, animals and the environment as well as fighting pesticide resistance, a phenomenon that has been exacerbated by the extensive and non-targeted use of these products and climate change. Answering current challenges for the development of new sustainable bio-based alternatives for crop protection, ZELDA aims to validate a zero-waste biorefinery approach at TRL5 for developing a portfolio of broad-spectrum immune elicitors derived from lignocellulosic biomasses. Such products combining for the first time cello-oligos, hemi-oligos and lignin-based products will reverse the pesticide paradigm, supporting plants in raising their own defences against a wide range of pathogens while supporting plant growth and flowering. Lignin nanoparticles will also bring a microbicides effect for curative use, further enhancing product efficacy. By combining principles of Safe and Sustainable by Design that will establish a feedback loop for product implementation, the project will ensure that products are not only more effective, but also safer and more sustainable. Economic viability will be ensured by minimising the amount of product to be used: ZELDA’ success will rely on the use of AI-based smart delivery systems targeting specific areas of the crop that require to be treated. The products developed will be tested on key crops central to the EU diet (cereals, tomatoes and grapes) in different EU geographical and pedo-climatic areas, developing tailored crop protection strategies for improving food security and contributing to preserving biodiversity and the ecosystem.

SUSFERT addresses the massive usage of mineral fertilisers in EU agriculture, which are largely based on non-renewable resources, but are required in intensive crop production for meeting demands for food and feed. SUSFERT will develop multifunctional fertilisers for phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) supply, which will fit into existing production processes and common EU agricultural practice. The SUSFERT innovation combines bio-based and biodegradable coatings, probiotics, the renewable P-source struvite, and nutrigels in at least four novel sustainable P and Fe fertiliser products, which may partly or fully replace unsustainable and resource-intense conventional ones. SUSFERT will test novel organic formulations, microgranules, granules, soil improvers, nutrigels and liquid fertilizer products in field trials, evaluate them regarding economic potential and environmental sustainability, ensure regulatory compliance and establish industry-scale production processes (TRL 7-8). Technological concepts include 1) probiotics based on P and Fe solubilizing Bacilli and Actinobacteria; 2) microbial siderophore (Fe chelator) produced in a demonstration plant; 3) enzymatic modification of the by-product lignin for cost effective, biodegradable controlled release coatings and product stabilization and 4) demonstration of struvite, a renewable P-source from wastewater, as a partial substitute of mineral P. Five industrial, four SME and three academic partners will contribute expertise along the whole value chain in biotechnology, microbiology, large-scale fermentation, fertiliser production and sales. We will fit the SUSFERT products into the regulatory and policy context for conventional and organic agriculture in various pedo-climatic conditions in Europe and prepare rapid market entry post-project.