TERRE
Multifunctional nanofibrosis systems to control and reduce environmental impacts in agricultural systems
Funding: CNR
Period: February 2022– February 2024
Total project budget: € 200000,00
Total budget CNR IIA: € 200000,00
Scientific Responsible: Antonella Macagnano

Abstract of the project

TERRE proposes innovative strategies to improve the technological infrastructure of agricultural practices, combining the development of new agricultural products acting as biostimulants of plant growth, with that of new sensors, both based on nano-structured intelligent materials, with the aim of maintaining the competitiveness of crops and farms, while improving the protection of natural resources and preserving the soil ecosystem.

TERRE proposes a multifunctional bioinspired model that can be implemented with a technology based on the principles of polymeric electrospinning to obtain versatile and modular nano-fibrous devices in a plethora of architectures (gauze, fabrics, nets, pots) and chemical combinations for applications in agricultural systems. These devices can be easily developed using some categories of agro-industrial waste as main resources, falling within the mechanisms of a model inspired by nature and the principles of circular economy. They will be activated both with nano-biostimulating agents (dedicated to the development of crops), and with "sensitive" agents (development of sensors) to the gaseous / volatile variations (volatolomics) of the soil-plant ecosystem, becoming an innovative model to improve the 'technological infrastructure of agricultural practices. Indeed, the combination of innovative agricultural products with sensors capable of monitoring their own functioning will maintain the competitiveness of crops and farms, while improving the protection of natural resources and the soil. The model proposed in TERRE is also guided by a waste-to-wealth approach, where all products are reused, as in nature, in a circular model of waste valorization. Therefore agro-industrial waste (shells of dried fruit) or weed biomass (macroalgae in the lagoons) or residues of biotechnological processes (yeast and fungal walls) will become the basis for new "intelligent" resources to be reused in sustainable and controlled agricultural systems. TERRE aims to implement technological innovations with defined recipes and green methodologies, optimizing the retrieval of resources used in the production cycles (waste) also focusing, as well as specifically on the protection of the soil and the systems related to it, on the reduction of costs and of energy consumption, adapting to the action plan of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, limiting the use of new resources and reducing CO2 emissions.

i) preserve the soil ecosystem;
ii) develop efficient approaches under various aspects (competitive and innovative agricultural systems, low environmental impact, circular economy);
iii) protect the environment from eutrophication and contamination (eg through the slow release of natural compounds, the use of eco-compatible compounds, the use of natural strategies);
iv) propose a new approach based on ES technology and nanofibrose materials generated for agricultural applications in bioinspired systems;
v) suggest the monitoring of ecosystems by means of new sensors based on ES technology;
vi) designing a future integrated platform composed of suitable nanobiostimulants and nanosensors able both to supply nutrients (controlled release) and to detect and monitor, directly or indirectly, the state of fertility of the soil ecosystem (e.g. unnecessary fertilizations and prevent possible contamination of the surrounding environment).
CNR-IIA, https://iia.cnr.it/
CNR-IBE, https://www.ibe.cnr.it/
CNR-IPCB, http://www.ipcb.cnr.it/index.php/it/
CNR-IRSA, http://www.irsa.cnr.it/index.php/ita/
UNITUS-DIBAF, http://www.unitus.it/it/dipartamento/dibaf

National Collaborations
UNISI-DPCF, https://www.dbcf.unisi.it/it/dipartamento/personale/docenti/annalisa-santucci
CREA, https://www.crea.gov.it/web/educazione-e-trasformazioni-agroalimentari/laboratorio-di-biotecnologie-microbiche-applicate-all-agricoltura-e-all-agroindustria-torino-
ETRUSCAN ROMAN BIODISTRICT, http://www.biodistrettoetruscoromano.it/
COOPERATIVA AGRIVESUVIO ArL., Https://aziende.virgilio.it/frutta-secca/lauro-av/coop-agric-agrivesuvio-ar-l_2

International Collaborations
CSIC-IATA, https://www.iata.csic.es/en/staff/jose-maria-lagaron-cabello
TECHNION-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY, https://meeng.technion.ac.il/members/eyal-zussman/




Antonella Macagnano
Massimo Mari