Adapted from the project website
The project addressed the challenges in food security, agriculture and climate change through interdisciplinary research activities located at the border between critical fields such as agriculture, energy, environmental protection. These activities are related both to the restoration of the quality of the soils affected by salinity with the help of halophytic plants and to the identification those value chains that can be developed from the obtained halophytic biomass that have economic interest capable of acting as drivers capable of opening new potential the market entry.
HaloSYS project selected halophytes species were cultivated on salt-affected soils. Work has been conducted on two experimental trials: - one, developed in Poland where the soil salinity is induced (controlled) and three species of grass characterized by high biomass production and a wide ecological amplitude, including tolerance to the soil salinity, were selected (Festuca arundinacea, Calamagrostis epigejos and Spartina pectinate), and - one in Romania, where selected halophyte sp. (Limonium sinuatum, Amaranthus paniculatus, Festuca arundinacea, Salicornia europaea) have been tested on three types of soil sampled from real environment. The work was conducted on the monitoring the degree of soil purification, the yield of biomass and its chemical composition, with a particular attention on choosing the most promising valorisation ways for the obtained biomass. With this purpose, the possibilities of extracting fibres to produce green composites, hydrolyses of cellulosic materials for sugars used in fermentative processes (bioethanol production), identification of active biomolecules and micronutrients, optimisation of oil extraction from seeds for sustainable bioproduct / biodiesel synthesis have been investigated. Waste resulted after extraction or pre-treatment processes are further transformed into bio-based products (briquets for energy, biochar for soil amendment, etc.). Process efficiency in terms of biomass production, salt-affected soil remediation, biomass conversion, materials and energy demand is the core activity for each involved step of the developed integrated technology targeting the optimal solution for ensuring overall sustainability.
June 2018 - May 2021