UPCYCLING BY-PRODUCTS FROM AGROINDUSTRY AND BIOREFINERIES IN SUSTAINABLE PHYTOVACCINES AND FERTILIZERS FOR PLANT AND SOIL HEALTH

Agro-industrial waste is often disposed of in the soil with harmful effects on the environment. Recently, companies have started to valorize wastes as a source of biomass in biogas plants by converting it into energy through an anaerobic digestion process, producing digestate. The disposal of this new by-product represents a key challenge due to the high quantity produced and the ammonia emissions and greenhouse gases. Added to these environmental problems are the high environmental and economic costs linked to the growing use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. From a circular economy perspective, we develop a robust cascade biorefinery and digital value chain to recycle waste into innovative bio-based solutions. Our interdisciplinary approach ranges from plant physiology and pathology, enzymology, chemistry, and chemical and process engineering. Here we will focus on the recycling of olive oil mill and biogas wastes into plant immunostimulants and bioprotectants. Isolated molecules are identified as activators of plant defense responses and resistance against economically important pathogens (Coculo et al. 2023; Vicré and Lionetti 2023). The promotion of cost-effective and environmentally friendly green products and production processes will encourage the proliferation of eco-innovative sectors based on green technologies, contributing to economic and environmental sustainability. Some results are object of Italian Patent Application No. 102023000004800 filed on 14.03.2023 and accepted for international PCT extension.