From waste to valuable resource: plant fortification from asparagus residues
Higher temperatures, longer dry spells, and increasing pressure from plant pests pose major challenges for horticultural and agricultural crop production. At the same time, there is significant interest in processing waste materials from food production as part of a circular bioeconomy.
The SPARKL project brings together the expertise of the IGZ in vegetable cultivation, the Julius Kühn Institute in tolerance research, PHYTOsolution in plant fortifiers, and COMPOLYTICS in spectral sensing to develop a sustainable plant fortifier from asparagus production waste that enhances the tolerance of crops to drought stress. The residual materials contain carbohydrates, amino acids, and plant secondary compounds that are an excellent prerequisite for the development of plant fortifier.
At the IGZ, the team led by Dr Katja Witzel is developing suitable extracts from asparagus residual material and analyzing their composition. These extracts are then tested for their effect on cauliflower plants under drought stress. A key partner in the project is the Spargelgut Diedersdorf, which provides the asparagus byproducts required for the research. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Regional Identity (BMLEH).
By combining the circular economy, resource conservation and application-oriented research, SPARKL contributes to the development of sustainable solutions for horticultural and agricultural crop production.
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