The 48-month CARINA project focuses on new sustainable and diversified agricultural systems, including the cultivation of 2 oilseeds Brassica carinata L. Brown (called Abyssinian cabbage or Ethiopian mustard) and Camelina sativa L. Crantz (camelina). The project aims to increase the biodiversity of crop plants and adjust the above-mentioned species to crop rotations on farms interested in their cultivation. The oilseed plant species used in the project are characterized by easy adaptation to various soil and climatic conditions and the possibility of using them in various agricultural systems. Brassica carinata and Camelina sativa seeds provide high-quality oils that will be transformed into innovative bio-products. In line with the Circular Economy and the "no waste" philosophy, the by-product will also find an innovative application.
The CARINA project is implemented by an experienced team of 18 partners and 5 associates from 13 EU countries and EU-associated countries (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Great Britain, Serbia, Tunisia, Morocco, Switzerland). The Poznań University of Life Sciences is the only consortium member from Poland.
The implementation of the project at UPP proceeds in two ways. Mrs. prof. UPP dr hab. Danuta Kurasiak-Popowska from the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding (KGiHR) of the Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Bioengineering is the task manager in WP1 regarding field experiments and will work in cooperation with the employees of KGiHR and the Department of Agronomy. Mixed cropping systems, in comparison with pure cropping, will be tested on the farm demonstration plots. Further experiments concern the cultivation of these species on soils characterized by low fertility (so-called marginal soils). In addition, all project partners will analyze the threats, risks and opportunities associated with the introduction of two oilseeds into cultivation.
The leader of WP2 is Prof. UPP dr hab. Kinga Stuper-Szablewska from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, who, in an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental team, analyses the chemical composition of seeds and by-products for all entities involved in the implementation of the CARINA project. As part of the project, a doctoral dissertation is being carried out, the supervisors of which are Professors.
An important aspect of this project is to maximize the use of oils, pomace and straw from the analyzed oilseeds. They will be developed technologies for the recovery of active and anti-nutritive substances, proteins, and oil residues and the isolation of substances that are plant growth stimulants. Among the proposed applications, it is crucial to develop innovative plant protection products dedicated especially to woody plants. These preparations will be completely natural. Their effectiveness will be verified by experiments on pine seedlings against selected species of biting insects. The experiment will be conducted in both model and real conditions (pine saplings). Technologies for developing plant protection products against pests will be implemented in two directions: as repellents and insecticides. This is important for forest management, as it is in line with the current trends of limiting the use of chemical forest protection agents. The developed technologies and products will be of significant importance for agriculture and forestry.
The added value of the project is to create a beacon of knowledge about the conducted research and developed technologies. They will be created in the research and development units participating in the project. A knowledge base will also be built on both B. carinata and C. sativa, as well as all technologies, preparations and products that will result from the project. The database will be widely available and disseminated in the social environment in the context of sustainable bioeconomy.
The person in charge of the project on behalf of UPP Prof. UPP dr hab. Kinga Stuper-Szablewska, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology and Prof. UPP dr hab. Danuta Kurasiak-Popowska Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Bioengineering.
Source of funding: Horizon Europe
Project implemented as part of an international consortium:
- Coordinator: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, UNIBO (Italy)
- Consortium members:
- ARVALIS Institut du Vegetal, ARVALIS (France) Agraren University - Plovdiv,
- AUP (Bulgaria)
- Camelina Company España SL(Spain)
- Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving Foundation (Greece)
- DBFZ Deutsches Iomasseforschungszentrum Gemeinnutzige (Germany)
- Flanat Research Italia SRL, FLANAT (Italy)
- International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (Lebanon)
- Institut za Ratarstvo i Povrtarstvo Institut od Nacionalnog Znacaja za Republiku Srbiju (Serbia)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, INRAT (Tunisia)
- Novamont S.p.A. (NVMT) (Italy)
- Pedal Consulting SRO, PEDAL (Slovakia)
- Poznań University of Life Sciences, PULS (Poland)
- SAIPOL SAS, SAIPOL (France)
- Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias de España u de Coop Sociedad Cooperativa (Spain)
- Terres Inovia, TI (France)
- Kimitec Biogroup SL, KIMITEC (Spain)
- RSB Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials Association (Switzerland)
- Nuseed Europe LTD., NUSED (England)