Los Plants use nitrates as their main source of nitrogenwhich is an essential element for the correct physiological functioning of plants, which is part of biochemical elements of enormous importance such as proteins and nucleic acids.
He Ammonium nitrate is one of the most commonly used nitrates as fertilizers. nitrogen in leafy legume crops. This type of fertilizer, presented in the form of white granules, is used to achieve better yields, especially in soils poor in this chemical element.
Nitrates from agroindustry in the Mar Menor basin
The president of the Government of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, highlighted today that the recovery and protection of the Mar Menor “requires something fundamental: advance in the denitrification of the aquiferan issue that we have defended as essential.” Thus, he stated that “finding a solution based on innovation and science that prevents nitrates from continuing to harm the Mar Menor will be the definitive step for its recovery”, and to this end, he considered it “essential” that there continue to be collaboration and coordination between the Administrations, from a common roadmap.
López Miras made these statements during the signing of the collaboration agreement with the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, with which the the contracting of R&D services for the denitrification of the Mar Menor. This is an initiative of the regional Executive, developed through the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI).
Under this agreement, the regional and central governments will collaborate to contract the most appropriate technological solution that allows denitrify efficiently and environmentally sustainable the waters flowing into the Mar Menor from the Albujón rambla.
This innovative solution will allow significantly reduce nutrients and restore natural balance, while maintaining respect for the environment. In this way, a decisive step would be taken in the recovery of the Mar Menor.
During his speech, the president stressed that the regional Executive has invested close to 220 million euros in the last four years to improve the Mar Menor, and mentioned some of the measures implemented, such as the 156 million euros destined for the reform and improvements of stormwater and sanitation networks, the construction of 11 storm tanks, the continued withdrawal of biomass, soil restoration, improvement in protected spaces, as well as research and monitoring of the ecosystem.
“We address the problem and act against the main source of destabilization of the Mar Menor: the entry of nitrates that causes serious disturbances in its ecological stateboth superficially through the Albujón rambla and underground through the aquifer,” said López Miras. Furthermore, he stressed that this “is the first project in the Mar Menor that acts directly on the aquifer.”
The Recovery project
The technology will be specifically designed for waters like those of the Mar Menor and will also lay the foundations to provide a solution to other bodies of water contaminated by nitrates anywhere on the planet. The project, called ‘Recupera’, will be developed in four phases, and is launched through a Public Innovation Procurement process, in which technology companies and national and international research centers will be consulted to develop an unprecedented solution.
The first of the four phases will consist of a market exploration, with a Preliminary Market Consultation (CPM) to begin the search for technological solutions in the industry that respond to the needs. At this time, the consultation has already begun. In the second phase, after the result of the first, the sustainability and efficiency requirements that projects must contain that compete through a tender.
The third phase focuses on the selection of those projects that meet all the requirements for the manufacture and implementation of a prototype or the testing of the proposals to validate compliance with the requirements. Already in the fourth and final phase The prototype is evaluated in a real environment in the Mar Menor.
The development of ‘Recupera’ has a total investment of 5 million euros, financed by the regional government, with 1.25 million; FEDER Funds, with 3 million, and the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), with 750,000 euros. The CDTI will lead this process, guaranteeing that the developed solution meets the technical and environmental requirements necessary for its implementation.