AREAS OF OUR WORK
We work in research and teaching, applying the concepts of the Circular Economy in Agriculture.
MICROALGAE CULTIVATION IN WASTEWATER
A very important environmental problem in the dairy industry is the generation of wastewater, both due to its volume and the associated pollutant load, mainly of an organic nature. Most of the water consumed in the production process eventually becomes wastewater. The composition of these waters includes dissolved organic substances such as lactose, mineral salts and colloidal protein suspensions. A biological alternative for treatment and utilization consists in the cultivation of microalgae, as these feed on polluting substances in the wastewaters, and convert them into bioactive substances (such as amino acids, proteins, pigments and lipids). The cultivation of microalgae in dairy wastewater is of great interest in the circular economy because water treatment and the sustainable production of microalgae biomass converge. This biomass is a profitable raw material for the production of biofertilizers and biocomposites for use in agriculture, food and pharmaceutical industries.
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In RedECA we investigate the cultivation of Spirulina platensis in wastewater from the dairy industry and the formulation of biofertilizers and biostimulants from the obtained biomass .
FORMULATION OF BIOFERTILIZERS AND BIOSTIMULANTS
The intensification and increase of agricultural productivity has been linked to an increase in the use of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers. This, in turn, has led to an increase in discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds of anthropogenic origin in water bodies. The increase in the concentration of nitrates and phosphates in waters represents an important environmental problem because it causes eutrophication of fresh and marine water ecosystems, affecting the availability and quality of water, the diversity of species in affected water bodies, fish farming production, navigability, among others. In addition, the leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers represents a high cost for the agricultural economy.
In response to these problems, in RedECA we are investigating the development of biofertilizers and biostimulants that reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses in water to increase agricultural productivity and reduce environmental impact. The raw material for the production of these biomaterials are agro-industrial waste and microalgae biomass grown in wastewater, which allows generating value-added by-products and, at the same time, closing production cycles in the agro-industry.
CADMIUM MITIGATION IN COCOA
Cadmium is a metal that is found in the environment, naturally or as a pollutant derived from industrial activity and agricultural sources. This metal has the ability to bioaccumulate in organisms, reaching levels that cause toxicity. The presence of Cd in agricultural soilsis a challenge for the production of safe food, free of contaminants, due to the physiological capacity of some plants to absorb and translocate this metal to different parts that are used for food. There is a national concern in Colombia due to the presence of cadmium in cocoa beans and other crops, but the development of alternatives for the mitigation of cadmium in crops is still incipient.
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In RedECA, we investigate the development and application of organo-mineral fertilizers and organic amendments as a strategy for the immobilization of metals in soils, preventing them from being absorbed and accumulated by plants. Our current efforts are focused on Cacao.
In RedECA, we consider it essential that young people know and appreciate the rigor of scientific research applied to real environmental problems, as a complement to their academic education. From the institutions, we support the training of students in scientific research, guiding them in the development of undergraduate and graduate research works, integrating them into our projects. Based on this work, and using our experience in teaching Research Methodology in engineering programs, we published a guide book that helps in the process of writing research proposals, paying attention to the more difficult aspects of that process.