Innovative Bio-Products for Agriculture : Innovative Bio-Based Micronutrient Fertilizers

Micronutrient deficiency, especially that of zinc, manganese and copper, in soils and hence in staple foods has been identified as a global problem. A low content of these elements in soil can lead to metabolic disorders in plants, reducing their yield and the quality of crops and thus bringing about serious health disorders and diseases.

The application of innovative fertilizers reduces the loss of nutrients and lessens the toxic effect of preparations on the environment. The conception of biological fertilizer components with micronutrients has been developed in response to the growing demand for innovative fertilizers as an alternative to traditional products.

The new conception is based on the application of biomass as a carrier of micronutrients. Residues after biomass processing in different branches of food industry constitute a raw material which can be easily converted to a micronutrient fertilizer. Simple transformations enable turning raw biomass into a micronutrient fertilizer that combines the advantageous properties of chelates (similar nutrient release mechanism) and inorganic salts (low cost). Enriched biomass is also a source of organic carbon. The characteristics of biomass-based micronutrient fertilizers conform to the new directions for the development of agricultural products (bio-based economy, bio-based chemicals for agriculture).

The book presents the possibility of the reuse of the biomass (seeds) after fruit processing (residues after SC-CO 2 extraction) for the production of micronutrient fertilizers. SC-CO 2 extraction of seeds is used for the production of oils in foodstuffs and the pharmaceutical industry while extraction residues can be subjected to biosorption for the production of micronutrient biocomponents. It can be a method for the conversion of the biomass to a utilitarian product. New products are characterized by a high bioavailability of nutrients and biodegradability. Application costs are competitive to chelate fertilizers.