The Nitrosfera project, coordinated by the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers-Exporters of the Region of Murcia (Proexport), aims to adapt crop nutrition to the requirements of areas vulnerable to nitrate contamination by developing fertilization strategies that include incorporating microorganisms in the fertilizer plan. The goal is to improve the efficiency of plant nutrition and promote an approach to crop management that improves soil fertility and allows producers to obtain profitable harvests.
Cultivated plants need care and nutrients to grow and produce crops that society can market and consume. Farmers plan crop fertilization by calculating their needs for Fertiliser Units of the main nutrients, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K). They manage the supply so that fertilizers are available when the crop demands them, combining fertilizers containing a specific percentage of each of the three main nutrients. In recent years, there's been significant progress in this process -which has been carried out since the beginning of civilization-, thanks to science and research that has allowed better understanding and improving plant nutrition, adapting it to the specific situation of each crop.
The goal of the Nitrosfera project is to obtain scientific data that indicates how microorganisms can be used effectively in combination with chemical fertilizers, without compromising productivity, as an effective and sustainable alternative that improves plant nutrition and soil fertility and increases the efficiency of the plant nutrition process.
One of the alternatives being considered is using products based on mixtures of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and actinobacteria. Some of these form symbiotic associations with plant roots, favoring the absorption of nutrients and improving soil structure. The main ones include nitrogen-fixing bacteria, capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use, increasing the availability of this essential nutrient.
The symbiosis between these bacteria and plant roots forms nodules that act as nitrogen fixation sites. In the nitrogen fixation process, these bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) that plants use to synthesize proteins and other essential compounds. Another type of bacteria being tested is phosphorus and potassium solubilizers, which can release organic acids and enzymes that break down inorganic phosphates present in the soil into soluble forms, facilitating their absorption by plants.
In the trials, part of the fertilizer units are replaced by microorganisms. Fertilizers have 30% less nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and researchers are quantifying the impact this has on crop fertilization, according to Abelardo Hernández, project coordinator and technical director of Proexport, an association integrated into Fepex.
However, quantifying the proposed solutions is proving to be very complicated, as there is a great diversity of situations and agro-climatic conditions that affect the development of microorganisms. Unlike chemical fertilizers, whose effects and nutrients can be measured more easily and for which historical data is available, microorganisms work in a more complex way, indirectly, through their development in the soil. Their benefits also vary according to soil conditions, crop type, and other environmental factors, which makes quantifying their impact much more difficult, according to Ángeles Lozano, a project collaborator.
Nitrosfera, coordinated by Proexport, is part of the work carried out by the NUVES Operational Group, made up of agricultural producers Fruca Marketing, G's España, Agromediterránea Hortofrutícola, Intercrop Ibérica, Grupo Hortofrutícola Murciana de Vegetales, and Huerta Gama, all of which are based in the Region of Murcia. The Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) provides the knowledge and technical basis for these projects to achieve their objectives. Funding comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. The resources, however, are provided by the participating producers.
For more information: www.fepex.es