Angela borrás Asklonia project director, Plymag: “ The CDTI support Innovation and the FEDER helps us to offer solutions for sustainable agriculture compared with water stress ”
To the growing challenges of climate change and water scarcity, especially in the mediterranean basin, the company Plymag leads a vegetable biostimulation project with the support of Innovation and CDTI european funds. Asklonia uses ERDF seaweed extracts to reduce water consumption in agriculture without jeopardizing its productivity
A 50% the use of irrigation water without compromising yields. That is the ambitious target Asklonia, a project of the valencian company Plymag which bets on plant biotechnology and the potential of the marine algae to mitigate the impact of severe water stress.
The initiative was supported by the CDTI innovation and is co-financed with european funds. “ The ERDF funding received is helping us to forge ahead with this type of research and development. The return to society is clear: to develop real products that provide tangible solutions to farmers is vital for agricultural activity can continue to develop, ” explains Angela Borrás Asklonia project director.
Agriculture, science and sustainability
Plymag is a family company, founded in 1978 in Pego (Alicante), with a clear vocation for innovation in sustainable agriculture. Today amount 62 people and maintained a strong international dimension, with affiliates in Portugal, peru, Chile and Colombia, in addition to export to more than 20 countries. “ From the outset, I + D + i has been in the dna of the company. We are investing in efficient agriculture based on botanical extracts, with own formulations, innovative, environmentally-friendly ”, stresses Borràs.
In recent years the company has developed a methodology for exclusive extraction which has enabled it to move forward in creating solutions specific bioestimulantes. Products based on micro-algae asAscophyllum nodosumandEckloniamaximum form an integral part, with a technical and practical approach adapted to the farmer.
Against water scarcity
The project seeks to establish a Asklonia innovative bioestimulante able to maintain the force and productivity of plants using up to 50% less for irrigation water. The key is the synergy of functional biocompuestos drawn from different seaweed, formulated through techniques developed by the company. “ Access to raw materials and our differential extraction method allows us to offer the market a unique solution focused on the response of the plant to the water stress, ” explains Borràs.
This approach corresponds to an urgent need in regions such as the mediterranean, where water restrictions increasingly affect the profitability of farming. “ We Want To allow farmers to continue to produce in a sustainable and profitable, even under adverse conditions. No water, no agriculture without appropriate solutions and there is no future ”, stresses.
Algae, allied to the future agricultural
Seaweed represent a natural source of bioactive compounds as fitohormonas, polysaccharides and minerals. “ Are sustainable, biodegradable, compatible with organic farming and offer great potential in agricultural biotechnology, ” says. Their use reduces dependence on traditional chemicals, to improve efficiency in the use of nutrients and improve the resistance to stress. In the context of climate change, its role will continue to rise.
Asklonia focuses on key crops such as horticulture, olive trees and vines, citrus fruits, with a radius of initial action in the mediterranean environment. However, the company aims to expand this technology to other regions with water constraints.
Responsible and technical Plymag laboratory
Research with impact and alliances
One of the most important technical challenges of the project is the difficulty of isolating the specific effect bioestimulantes in real terms. “ In agriculture influenced by multiple variables and a major challenge is to be able to devise solutions that adapt to the particularities of each plot or cultivation ”, indicates Borràs.
To address this complexity, the project includes the collaboration of the institute of Molecular and cellular biology of plants (IBMCP-CSIC) and the company Syntech. “ These synergies allow us to move faster and more scientific rigour. The technical expertise provided by collaborating centres is essential in guiding the development ”, highlights.
A tool of farmer
Plymag expected a good destination from the product in the agricultural sector, subject to the validation of the outcome. “ Farmers are looking for solutions that will enable them to continue their work despite the scarcity of water, but also require guarantees of effectiveness, ” says.
The main barrier, the committee notes, is in the regulatory framework. “ Many of these innovative products are not yet covered by specific laws or fall into frames too rigid, which makes them unable to reach the market with all necessary information, ” she adds.
With an international vocation innovation
The financing of CDTI Innovation and european funds ERDF has been key to Asklonia has been put in place. “ This aid will allow us to not only develop the product, but to give the company of the structure needed to accelerate the arrival of innovation to the market, ” says Borrás. Plymag is a 5% of turnover in R + D + i and is in a phase of international expansion, building on emerging markets in central america and Asia, and also strengthen its position in countries such as morocco, Chile and egypt.
The company wants to move forward in the development of sustainable biotechnology solutions, with a special focus on products and biopesticidas bioestimulantes based botanical extracts. “ We Want To accompany the farmer in its transition towards agriculture greener and resilient ”, points Borràs.
A vision for the future
The expectation is that Asklonia Plymag has a direct impact on productivity and sustainability, global expansion. “ Environmental, its formulation based on natural extracts strengthens our commitment to sustainable agriculture. From the point of view, will help improve the efficiency of the physiological plants, even in water-stressed conditions. And the strategic level, we are positioned to grow in markets where the demand for such solutions is growing.
In five years, the company consolidated imagined as a global player in agricultural innovation with our own technology and sustainable vision. Asklonia is the first step of a new phase which seeks to respond to one of the great challenges of the present: grow more with less water.
CDTI Innovation
The centre for technological development and innovation, CDTI E.P.E. is a public company under the ministry of Science, innovation and universities, whose goal is the promotion of technological innovation in business. The CDTI mission is to ensure that the business fabric english generates and transform knowledge into growth científico-técnico globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive. By 2024, within the framework of a new strategic plan, the CDTI provided more than $2.3 billion euros of support for business startups and spain.
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