AgriSed

Use of dredged sediments for creating innovative growing media and technosols for plant nursery and soil rehabilitation 

The AGRISED project was based on the concept of circular economy and on the recovery of resources that would otherwise be considered waste. Starting from river sediments and green waste—materials often not properly valorized and usually disposed in landfills with significant environmental and economic impacts—AGRISED allowed to obtain new eco-sustainable products. 

The project aimed to demonstrate the suitability of dredged sediments, co-composted with green waste, for the production of innovative technosols for the recovery of degraded land and of sustainable substrates for the nursery sector. 

The performance of the innovative sediment-based substrates and reconstructed soils was compared with traditional approaches to soil remediation and with substrates commonly used in the production of high-value ornamental plants. 

The co-composting process of sediments and green waste produced substrates with improved characteristics in terms of fertility, structure, water retention capacity, aeration, and biological activity, compared to peat and coconut fiber, allowing for the replacement of traditional peat-based substrates, whose extraction is associated with a high environmental impact. 

The technosols produced were used for the maintenance of industrial areas and the rehabilitation of degraded soils. 

Finally, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out, confirming the environmental sustainability of the proposed solutions, and a specific Business Plan was developed, which also demonstrated the economic sustainability of the adopted technologies, even when considering the uncertainties related to current market trends.