FertiMed - Sustainable and innovative soil improvers for Mediterranean crops

Sicilian agriculture, particularly in citrus and fodder prickly pear farming, faces severe soil degradation due to intensive farming practices. Current agricultural practices has led to a drastic decline in soil organic matter, which is essential for maintaining soil fertility, water retention and crop productivity. At the same time, anaerobic digestion plants in Sicily generate digestate, a nutrient-rich by-product of biogas production. Currently the digestate, and its potential amendment, is underutilized due to challenges related to its application and transport. The FERTIMED project aims to spread the knowledge and use of micro-filtered digestate in citrus and fodder prickly pear farms (strategic sectors for employment and income in Sicilian agriculture). The distribution of digestate was done in fertigation with drip lines, ensuring max efficiency of use of the nutrients and water it contains. There were 8 partners actively involved in the OG activities. University of Catania (scientific coordinator) proposed innovation to the lead company, who has installed microfilter plant of its digestate. 4 farms have provided experimental fields. 1 organization of producers evaluated the quality of the citrus obtained. Regional authorities supported the implementation of the practice, facilitating the regulatory framework, ensuring compliance with environmental and agricultural standards and helped to promote and transfer results and knowledge to other farmers and stakeholders