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Science for Sapiens A year in research (2024)

The vision of NEOCOMP is precisely to go beyond a model There are certain
that focuses on “cleaning up the mess” left by the products
we use and that have reached the end of their life. The aim sectors, such as rural or
is to change the perception of ‘waste as a problem’ to ‘was- semi-rural areas, where
te as a resource’. In this case, the use of circular economy
in the production of compost from urban waste both ena- the management of
bles reducing the environmental pollution that derives from
open dumps and it is also an opportunity to recover essen- organic waste, especially
tial nutrients for crop production, improve crop yield and domestic waste, is difficult
reduce the use of chemical fertilisers.

Normally the flow of organic waste is processed in centrali-
sed composting facilities where the waste or materials arrive
to create, after being processed, compost. However, there
are certain sectors, such as rural or semi-rural areas, whe-
re the management of organic waste, especially domestic
waste, is difficult, either due to its collection or transport.
In this context, new decentralised composting scenarios
appear, that is, local composting.

However, the final quality of compost depends on both
the initial materials and the composting process develo-
ped. Compost made with uncontrolled materials and me-
thods may have chemical characteristics that may pose a ported commercial fertilisers, which are expensive. On the
risk to health or the environment. The main objective of the one hand, for the price itself. On the other hand, due to the
NEOCOMP project, led by the professors of the UMH Ma- high environmental impact derived from pollution in the
ría Angeles Bustamante and María Dolores Pérez Murcia of form of carbon dioxide that is emitted during transportation
the group for Applied Research in Agrochemistry and Envi- from their distant points of origin. Legua assures that using
ronment (GIAAMA), is the monitoring and control of these sea sediments extracted from ports gives “a use with com-
new models of organic waste management, in addition to mercial value to a waste that today generates an environ-
defining key indicators to be used in new regulations that mental problem to the ports and a great deal of expenses for
guarantee the quality and safety of the compost obtained its transport and deposit in the waste plants”.
in these new decentralised local models. All this to be used
safely in agriculture. In this initiative participate, in addition to CIAGRO-UMH, the
plant nursery company Caliplant, from San Javier (Murcia),
From the sea to the land together with several technological institutes and compa-
While European legislation is making progress on the reuse nies in Italy. The project has studied how sediments beha-
of domestic organic waste, other potential renewable re- ve in the trunk, leaves and fruits, and even the excess water
sources still do not have a legal framework for recovery. For from the drainage of trees. All this, in order to determine the
example, in Spain it is not allowed to use the organic matter hypothetical danger of this material from the seabed, wi-
of the seabed as agricultural fertiliser. However, an alternati- thout any contaminating consequences being detected.
ve to the problem of what to do with sediments that are rou-
tinely drained from ports would be to use them as natural The soil is much more than inert earth. It is a complex sym-
fertiliser. Currently, the European Commission is studying biotic system of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids and
its viability based on new scientific studies, among which is living organisms that generate life. According to the United
the LIFE Subsed project, in which the Institute for Agri-Food Nations, arable land is available only for the next sixty years.
and Agri-Environmental Research and Innovation (CIA- The good news is that the situation is still reversible and that
GRO-UMH) of the University Miguel Hernández participates. science is doing its bit to remedy soil health.
The aim of the initiative is to use sea sediments as organic
fertiliser in the growth of citrus fruits and other fruit trees. Composting calculator: How to make your own compost?
This app, developed by the research and experimentation
According to CIAGRO-UMH agronomist Pilar Legua, who project in composting AgroCompost of the Generalitat Va-
leads the project in Spain, in addition to solving the pro- lenciana and the UMH, works as a calculator that helps to
blem of what to do with the sediments, using dredged-up know the characteristics of compost that can be made from
sea material is an opportunity to lower farm activity with a organic waste from the kitchen or the waste of pruning the
new nutrient-rich material and without prejudice to health. garden.
However, in order to use these materials, it is necessary to
process sediments in the same port with the use of herba- sQaPP: what is the quality of the soil we walk on?
ceous plants. This app, developed by the European project ISQAPER and
in which the Environmental Soil Science Laboratory GEA-
As a result of the studies carried out at the UMH, the resear- UMH participates, offers data on the characteristics of the
chers consider sea sediment a material of “high value”. soil in a given location, and offers suggestions to improve
They believe that it is a great alternative to commonly im- its quality.

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