Project title: The effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) Technology on the Yield and Quality of Vegetables
Project number: SSTC-OSC-001
Project acronym: MBM-technology
Work plan including Materials and Methods
The project comprises 6 work packages:
WP1 Project Management
WP2 Evaluation of germination and growth
WP3 Evaluation of crop yield and biomass
WP4 Evaluation of biotic stresses
WP5 Evaluation of nutritional quality
WP6 Dissemination
WP1 - Management
Aims:
1. Planning and implementing the scientific, technical, and financial coordination of the project.
2. Ensuring smooth work processes, carrying out all activities and delivering all results.
3. Monitoring progress for any potential problems and mitigating the risks accordingly.
4. Addressing issues of data management handling throughout the project.
WP2 - Evaluation of germination and growth
Aim: Investigate the effect of MBM-derived fertilizer products on germination and growth of plants.
Methods: This part is identical for WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP5:
Trials will be conducted in greenhouses or growth chambers. MBM substrates will be compared to popular growth substrates from the market as a control.
Greenhouse crops: leafy crops; microgreens.
Replicates and replications: 3 treatment replications as a minimum. Each trial will be repeated, or two identical experiments will run simultaneously.
The trial design: a randomized complete block design (RCBD).
Tasks to be set up after project approval: each crop needs different conditions; sowing, harvesting, greenhouse conditions (temperature, light intensity and duration, light source and relative humidity), agrotechnology for experiments, the treatments: MBM-derived fertilizer products, classic compost, and mineral fertilizers.
Data to be measured: The germinated seeds will be counted, and germination rate will be calculated. Growth factors including height, stem diameter, width, number of leaves, and flowers will be studied.
Statistics: The average, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, p-value, correlation coefficient and LSD (least significant difference) by Fisher will be calculated in Excel.
WP3 - Evaluation of crop yield and biomass
Aim: Investigate the effect of MBM-derived fertilizer products on yield and biomass of vegetables.
Methods other than described in WP2:
Data to be measured: The shoot yield, total, shoot, and root biomass, vertical and horizontal lengths of roots will be collected.
WP4 - Evaluation of biotic stresses
Aim: Investigate the effect of MBM-derived fertilizer products on biotic stresses of vegetables.
Methods other than described in WP2:
Data to be measured: The evaluation of plant development and plant resistance to biotic stresses will be recorded using International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) methodology. The incidence of diseases, pests, and the area of damages will be recorded following the UPOV methodology.
WP5 - Evaluation of nutritional quality
Aim: Investigate the effect of MBM-derived fertilizer products on the nutritional quality of vegetables.
Methods other than described in WP2:
Data to be measured: The bioavailability of mineral elements: Nitrogen content measured by the Copper Catalyst Kjeldahl Method (984.13), phosphorus content measured by Kjeldahl Digest by Fiastar 5000, potassium determined by the Flame Photometric Method (956.01), calcium determined by the o-Cresolphthalein Complexone method (ISO 3696, in Kjeldahl Digest by Fiastar 5000), and magnesium determined by Fiastar 5000 (ASTN90/92; Titan Yellow method). The parameters in the soil/substrate: moisture content (at 105oC), pHKCl, organic matter content (heat loss in muffle furnace at 360°C) (Schulte, 1996), total N (Kjeldahl method) (Page et al 1982), mobile P (lactate method) (AOAC, 1990), K+-ion content (by using flame photometer) (AOAC, 1990).
WP6 - Dissemination
Aim: communicating the project’s purpose, work scope, and results to all stakeholders, including policy and decision-makers, the scientific community, environmental organizations, the media, and the general public.
Methods: The project results will be disseminated to stakeholders in Estonia and Asia and globally so that the new knowledge can be put into practical use. The project’s target groups will be identified in detail in the beginning of the project in order to ensure that every step of the project is communicated, stakeholders are engaged from the outset and their expectations are managed throughout the project duration.
The communication tools are:
1) The results will be disseminated in symposia, workshops, and conferences in Estonia, Asia and globally. The participation and results presentation at a conference: Pacifichem 2021 (https://pacifichem.org/).
2) The main information uploaded as subpage on webpage www.veggiescultivation.com.
3) Instagram subpage of NPO Veggies Cultivation for the project for farmers and scientists.
4) Youtube videos for farmers and scientists.
5) Seminar for farmers and scientists in Estonia.
6) Blog posts on on webpage www.veggiescultivation.com.
7) General brochures for all stakeholder groups.
8) Scientific meeting, results presentation and collaboration discussion.
Risks and back-up:
Human factor – problems in fertilizer development. I collaborate with CIEC (the International Scientific Centre of Fertilizers) group regularly and can get expertise from there if needed.
Facilities - power cut or collapse of greenhouse or growth room electricity system.
Back-up: A generator will take over.
Seeds will not germinate.
Back-up: Having a seed reserve, so that if the problem arises the seeds can be sown again quickly.
Rapid spread of diseases and pests.
Back-up: Finding the best plant protection products to be used.
Expected results and their importance/significance. How are the results to be evaluated?
1) Novel products (greenhouse substrates) from MBM which will increase growth, yield, and nutrient content of vegetables and decrease the cost of production.
2) More sustainable use of agricultural resources, decreased incidences of plant disease or pests, and increased quality of crops, which lead to improved storability of produce.
3) Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection products due to use of MBM in crop production.
4) Support for organic agriculture in developing sustainable agricultural production for the future and reducing food waste.
The outcome of the project will be evaluated positively if all the expected results are achieved.
How will the project be documented and disseminated?
The project results will be disseminated to stakeholders in Estonia and Asia and globally so that the new knowledge can be put into practical use. The project’s target groups will be identified in detail in the beginning of the project in order to ensure that every step of the project is communicated, stakeholders are engaged from the outset and their expectations are managed throughout the project duration.
All scientific publications will be open access; all scientific reports will be deposited in free repositories and (digitally) archived in national libraries for permanent (online) accessibility.
If the opportunity arises to issue a patent application during the project, all necessary steps will be undertaken, in close agreement with with legal services of the related institution. Data related to potential patent applications will only be made public if it does not interfere with the patent application.
The research plan is in the GanttChart table.
This table is for 1 year, while the project after the same plan could be running 3 – 5 years.
References
Ahmad, A., Radovich, T., Hue, N., Uyeda, J., Arakaki, A., Cadby, J., Paull, R., Sugano, J., Teves, G. 2016. Use of Organic Fertilizers to Enhance Soil Fertility, Plant Growth, and Yield in a Tropical Environment. Pp. 86-108. 10.5772/62529.
Radovich, T.J., Pant, A., Gurr, I., Hue, N.V., Sugano, J., Sipes, B., Arancon, N., Tamaru, C., Fox, B.K., Kobayashi, K.D. and Paull, R., 2012. Innovative Use of Locally Produced Inputs to Improve Plant Growth, Crop Quality, and Grower Profitability in Hawai’i. HortTechnology, 22(6), pp.738-742.
Silva, M.M. and Costa, J.P., 2018. Urban floods and climate change adaptation: The potential of public space design when accommodating natural processes. Water, 10(2), p.180.
Silvasy, T.F., 2017. Rate and Timing of Meat and Bone Meal (Tankage) Applications Influence Growth and Yield of Sweet Corn (Zea mays Var. Saccharata) and Soil Water Nitrate Concentrations in Two Hawaiian Soils (Doctoral dissertation, University of Hawai?i at Mānoa).
Stenmarck, A., Jensen, C., Quested, T., Moates, G., Buksti, M., Cseh, B., Juul, S., Parry, A., Politano, A., Redlingshofer, B. and Scherhaufer, S., 2016. Estimates of European food waste levels. IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. 80pp.
?stergren, K., J. Gustavsson, H. Bos-Brouwers, T. Timmermans, O. Hansen, H. O’Connor, G. Anderson, and C. O’Connor. 2014. FUSIONS Definitional framework for food waste. Full report. The Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, Sweden.