go to the original language article
The goal of a European project that will be developed on the Alentejo coast, with global funding of five million euros, is to recover damaged or contaminated land through plants or microorganisms that remove contaminants and expand the European agricultural area while producing biomass at the same time.
The project, named IASIS, includes the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Nova University of Lisbon (Nova FCT), which is part of the European IASIS consortium, receiving European Union funding of five million euros over four years.
According to a statement from the faculty, during this period, they aim to recover land contaminated by heavy metals, pesticides, or high salinity levels, which lead to soil degradation and reduced agricultural productivity. The goal is to increase the European agricultural area while producing biomass at the same time.
The project involves 18 partners from seven countries and will use a process called “phytomanagement,” which consists of “applying plants and microorganisms capable of tolerating and removing contaminants from the soil while regenerating its properties.”
The solution will be tested in pilot sites in various countries, with application in areas of the Alentejo coast in Portugal, according to a source connected to the initiative.
Selected species will be planted in these locations for their ability to resist salinity or some pollutants, with the support of microorganisms that increase the plants’ nutrient absorption capacity and help stabilize the soil.
Ana Luísa Fernando, from the Chemistry Department of NOVA FCT, will work on identifying the best combinations of plants and microorganisms that can be applied for soil recovery and will monitor the results obtained at the pilot sites.
“The IASIS brings a series of long-term benefits, especially for Portuguese agriculture and economy. By rehabilitating land previously considered unusable or unproductive, it opens up the possibility of increasing the available cultivation area, which is particularly relevant in a country like Portugal where soil desertification is increasing due to climate change,” said the researcher quoted in the statement.
The accumulation of salts in the soil and contamination by chemical substances often result from intensive agricultural practices, industrial pollution, or natural phenomena such as erosion and desertification.
The research aims to regenerate the land and transform these sites into productive areas for other purposes, such as biomass production. Biomass generated from non-edible (industrial) plants can be used as raw material for creating bio-based products, promoting the bioeconomy and circular economy.