Optimisation of nutrient budget in agriculture

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-02

Call

Optimisation of nutrient budget in agriculture

Summary

There are substantial knowledge gaps regarding the measurement and understanding of the impacts of nutrients flow in different farming practices (conventional, agro-ecological and organic systems, specialised and mix farming systems) at various scales, from local to global, and the capacity to model those impacts.
Therefore, proposals will support the limit and reduction of pollution due to the excess of nutrients and nutrient losses (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) in the environment, stemming from excess use in agriculture. It will contribute with new and enhance knowledge to the development of integrated nutrient management plan.

Detailed Call Description

Proposals should build on existing and new knowledge, data, models (including in situ calibration measurement), artificial intelligence and tools to:

  • Optimise and harmonise nutrient and water flow models, indicators and data for quantification and assessment to prevent or reduce environmental pollution caused by nutrients, across sectors, for different types of agricultural practices (conventional, organic and agro-ecological agriculture), and scales – farm, local, regional and river basin.
  • Explore and assess safe alternative nutrient sources and pathways (e.g. organic vs inorganic), enhance management and recycling of organic wastes and explore nutrient recovery opportunities (e.g. by using treated sewage sludge or wastewater) as well as nutrient mobilisation through microorganisms;
  • Enhance nutrient use efficiency at different levels.
  • Analyse climate change effects of certain nutrient flows, including interactions between nutrient, water and carbon cycles.
  • Develop biological models for nutrients flows remote sensing tools, in agricultural systems: for physical, chemical and biological parameters, using smart sensors and AI technologies.
  • Develop digital platforms to allow precision nutrient management at farm scale and landscape scale.

Call Total Budget

€7,00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

EU contribution per project: €7,00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Agriculture - Farming - Forestry
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation
  • Rural development

Eligibility for Participation

  • Farmers Unions
  • Farmers, Agriculturalists
  • Producer Associations
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • State-owned Enterprises

Call Opening Date

22/06/2021

Call Closing Date

06/10/2021

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy

George Christou
Contact Phone: 22 205 030
E-mail: gchristou@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/

Charalambos Papatryfonos
Contact Phone: 22 205 016
E-mail: cpapatryfonos@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/

(Publish Date: 17/09/2021-for internal use only)

EU Contact Point

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact