Our project

Extra virgin olive oil is a product that is increasingly associated by consumers with a healthy lifestyle. Italian oils have achieved high quality standard marks as PDO and PGI, however there are still critical issues related to fertilization practices and the use of chemical pesticides, which need effective solutions.

The olive fruit fly (Batrocera oleae) is the most dangerous pest in the Italian olive industry. Chemical pesticides with high environmental impact are usually applied for its contrast, and the possibility that toxic residues remain in the olive oil is not so remote. Furthermore, chemical pesticides are not specific for pathogens, but instead they act also to the ecosystem in multiple levels, compromising the biodiversity of soil, the health of insects, fishes, birds and other animals. Besides, fertilization practices bring other problems due to the excessive input of nutrients to the soil, up to 200 kg nitrogen per hectare. In fact, nutrients are not efficiently utilized by crops but, on the contrary, high amounts are lost every year to the surrounding environments, polluting surface and underground waters, compromising the quality of water resources and leading to the emission of powerful greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide, that highly contributes to climate change. It is therefore necessary to upgrade the olive growing practices, for ensuring the health of both the farmer and the consumer, the protection of the environment and the preservation of the ecosystems.

Italian olive growing is still suffering from fertilization practices and the use of chemical pesticides.
The pesticides used to combat the oil flies are too strong and, most of the times, toxic residues can be found within the oil we eat. The fertilization practices used add excessive amounts of nitrogen to the soil, contributing to water pollution and the emission of powerful greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide.

ZEOLIVA is a research project that aims to respond to these issues by entering the strategic plan for innovation and research in the agricultural, food and forestry sector thanks to the use of an innovative geomaterial of Italian origins: a natural zeolite.
Zeolite allows nutrients to be retained longer, counteracting their losses in the environment, and, in particularly hot and dry periods, to maintain a "humid" environment, retaining water inside its cavities and counteracting problems related to drought.
Zeolite was applied in two ways: on the one hand, the pulverized material enriched in ammoniacal nitrogen was applied as a spray on the leaves, to counteract the oil fly. On the other hand, zeolite in granular size was applied in the soil, directly in contact with the roots, to reduce the application of fertilizers, improve the quality of the soil and the health of the plant, while reducing the environmental impact.
Thanks to ZEOLIVA, the awareness of farmers and consumers about these important issues is increased and more sustainable and respectful agricultural practices for the environment and human health are being promoted in the area.

About us

The University of Ferrara (UNIFE) has been involved in research for the sustainability of the agri-food sector, for sustainable development and environmental protection for many years. The professor. Massimo Coltorti and his team led the ZeoLIFE project (LIFE 10 ENV/IT/0003218) in which zeolite materials were applied as soil improvers in agricultural soils with the aim of decreasing the input of water and chemical fertilizers, and thus reducing nitrate pollution in groundwater. Following the positive results of this project, numerous collaborations have developed for the application of zeolitites in the cultivation of vegetables and fruit trees, demonstrating the positive effects on microbial biodiversity in the soil and on the quality of cultivated products, as well as the reduction of gaseous emissions. of climate-altering gases, such as nitrous oxide (N2O). Over the years, synergies have been established between UNIFE and local companies, leading to the development of an innovative treatment system for livestock and industrial wastewater, through the application of natural zeolites and for the placing on the market of a new line of soil improvers and fertilizers can also be used in the organic sector, more efficient, safe and sustainable. Prof Coltorti's team, made up of Barbara Faccini, Giacomo Ferretti, Giulio Galamini and Valeria Medoro, has developed skills in the chemical analysis of natural matrices, such as geological materials of different nature, of substrates and plant products, of waters and waste of animal origin and from biogas plants. The research activity led to the filing of two patents (MO2013A000190; MO2013A000354) which were purchased by a company operating in the field of organic agriculture.

The CNR-IBE (Institute for Bioeconomy) has been involved in research for the valorization of olive growing for over 30 years, in particular by applying environmentally friendly defense methods and operating directly in the sector of industrial research and sustainable development. The skills and technologies available to IBIMET have allowed the development of management strategies for eco-sustainable production systems, also in relation to environmental risks, with particular attention to the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of resources and the reduction of inputs energy. Studies on the qualitative characteristics of agri-food products integrate agro-climatic zonation methods, technological and biochemical analyses, sensory analysis applications and consumer science. We study gas and matter exchange processes between cultivated surfaces and the atmosphere, quantifying energy and radiation balances, and observing the transport and deposition of pollutants. The multifunctionality of agriculture is analyzed and green technologies are studied for the recovery of degraded environments, the resilience of ecosystems, precision agriculture and organic agriculture in its numerous productive and physiological aspects. Within the ZEOLIVA project, the CNR-IBIMET team made up of Annalisa Rotondi and Lucia Morrone is responsible for monitoring the physiological conditions of the plants, monitoring and evaluating the quality of the zeolitite film coverage on the leaf surface and on the drupes, chemical and sensorial analyzes on olive oils and monitoring of olive fly attacks.

Zeolite

Zeolites are often found within rocks of volcanic origin.
Natural zeolites are characterized by rigid scaffoldings made of silicon, aluminum and oxygen atoms that delimit large cavities which can hold molecules of various kinds and, in particular, water.
Natural zeolites can help counteract particularly dry periods and, if applied on a plant's leaves, create a barrier against parasites.
These are just some of the positive aspects of these materials that are increasingly being applied in other fields besides agriculture, such as thermal-acoustic insulation and wastewater treatment.
In central Italy we can boast the presence of large zeolitised tuff deposits, from which one of the best zeolites in the world is extracted: potassium cabasite.

Main results

• Zeolite application in soil improved nitrogen retention with lower losses in the environment, allowing fertilizer applications reduced by 50%.
• The use of the zeolite sprayed on the aerial part of the plants remarkably reduced the incidence of olive fruit fly. Particularly in Montiano field, the combination of zeolite with dimethoate (50% dosage) significantly reduced the infestation.
• The use of micronised zeolitite, pre-enriched in nitrogen significantly improved the photosynthetic activity of plants.
• The chemical and sensory analysis of oils produced from plant treated with sprayed zeoliteshowed no differences imputable to treatments but only to the degree of infestation.