Effective nutrient management stands as a cornerstone in agriculture; delicately balancing the imperative for optimal crop growth while mitigating the environmental risks associated with inadequately managed nutrients. The EU-horizon funded project; NUTRI-KNOW; exemplifies a commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange transcending national boundaries. Engaging with 12 Operational Groups (OGs) from four member states—Belgium; Spain; Italy; and Ireland—NUTRI-KNOW aims to elevate agricultural nutrient management; thereby contributing to a more sustainable and efficient European agri-food sector. The engaged OGs within NUTRI-KNOW are strategically positioned to confront regional challenges; needs; and opportunities faced by farmers; underscoring the significance of shared innovation. To comprehensively understand current farming practices; policies; and market needs; two qualitative surveys were devised; seeking insights from both the OG consortia and broader stakeholders. Results obtained from the survey for OG consortia uncovered two primary challenges in manure treatment: (a) the excessive loading of manure N and P on cropland in livestock-intensive regions; notably in Belgium; Italy; and Spain; exerting a substantial influence on both water and air quality; and (b) the recognized gap in translating research knowledge into practical agricultural application; impeding endeavors in enhancing crop productivity and overarching agricultural sustainability. These findings align with the perspective of devise stakeholders including practitioners and policy makers; as obtained from the stakeholder consultation survey circulated in the four member states. The results of these two surveys emphasized an urgent demand for promoting practice-oriented knowledge and translating it into easily understandable language for practitioners. In response to these challenges; several innovations are proposed from the engaged OGs; including (a) inventive approaches such as nutrient up-concentration from manure/slurry/digestate through concentrators; struvite recovery; stripping and scrubbing; (b) the promotion of green energy facilitated by farm-scale anaerobic digestion; (c) innovative application strategies; such as injection; drip lines in sub-irrigation; and crop diagnosis. Supported by multi-layer activities and the creation of practice-oriented materials; NUTRI-KNOW stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit driving advancements in European agriculture; paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future.
Hongzhen Luo (Fri,) studied this question.