BIOREFINED

Making Knowledge Accessible for Farmers

For years, European research projects in the agricultural sector have carried out valuable work to make the use of fertilizers and other nutrients safer and more efficient.

However, many of these technologies, tools, and recommendations rarely reach the farmers who need them most.

The NUTRI-KNOW project (www.nutri-know.eu

makes it easier for farmers to learn about good nutrient management practices, including insights from other European countries. Ghent University is one of the ten project partners.

“In the NUTRI-KNOW project, we bring together knowledge about nutrient use in agriculture. We then share this knowledge with end users such as farmers, advisors, technology providers, and anyone active in agriculture.”
— Dr. Hongzhen Luo (Ghent University)

Through this approach, the project partners aim to support farmers and other stakeholders in digitizing and modernizing their agricultural practices. An example is the use of GPS technology to plan routes and explore more precise fertilization methods.

Operational Groups

The NUTRI-KNOW project compiles knowledge developed within the Operational Groups of EIP-AGRI. These groups consist of farmers, advisors, researchers, and companies who, as part of EU rural development programs, tackle specific agricultural challenges.

In Flanders, NUTRI-KNOW shares knowledge gathered in three particular Operational Groups:

  1. Grass2Algae – This group evaluated how juice from grass waste can be used as a medium to cultivate microalgae as an extra source of proteins. One user of this technology is farmer Kris Heirbaut, who runs a dairy farm and ice cream business with his wife Ginny in Temse. One of their ice cream flavors is made from algae produced on their farm.

  2. Pocketboer II – This group focuses on improving the performance of small-scale digesters (“pocket digesters”) that generate biogas from farm biomass. The biogas can be used to produce electricity, while the remaining digestate can serve as an organic fertilizer or soil improver.

  3. RENURE – This group helps prepare the agricultural sector for the safe use of recovered nitrogen from manure as a substitute for synthetic fertilizers. A “stripping and scrubbing process” first removes gaseous ammonia from manure or digestate, then washes it to produce ammonium sulfate or nitrate. According to Kris Ally, farmer and advisor at the company SmartRenure, many farmers are now seeking alternatives such as renure to replace synthetic fertilizers.

Elsewhere in Europe, other groups are working on specific innovations, such as optimizing organic fruit and vegetable production (Ireland), developing a slurry concentrator (Spain), and producing circular fertilizers based on slurry and digestate (Italy).

Community of Practice

In July 2024, NUTRI-KNOW launched its Community of Practice for individuals and organizations interested in nutrient use. On this online platform, farmers can share opinions and ask questions, after which they receive suggestions from experts also registered on the site.

“This platform can drastically simplify farmers’ lives: you find the right information much faster compared to regular search engines that overwhelm us with irrelevant data.”
— Kris Heirbaut, farmer

This online forum strengthens the exchange of knowledge and solutions in the field of nutrient management. With this, the NUTRI-KNOW project aims to modernize the agri-food sector and reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers.

The NUTRI-KNOW project is funded by the EU.