Within the INTERREG project Food Pro.tec.ts the following topic area is worked on:

The plant genus Miscanthus belongs to the family Poaceae. Since 2018 the cultivation is recognized as a greening measure in Germany and a simultaneous use of the biomass is allowed. The use as animal bedding gives the farmer an attractive internal use possibility and is already proven by some experiments. Accordingly, this form of use has spread in recent years and will continue to increase in the future, especially with the recognition of Miscanthus cultivation as a greening measure. As a result, the amount of this novel fertilizer made from Miscanthus bedding has increased and is used in practice without sufficient characterization. The environmental impact of the fertilizer is completely unknown and poses a challenge to the political decision makers and the farmer to evaluate the product with regard to the new fertilizer ordinance or to use it according to requirements. It is therefore imperative to identify the effects on the nitrogen and carbon system after incorporation into the soil. These include the dynamics of N release, the effects on soil microorganisms and the degradation behavior. In addition, the further characterization of the Miscanthus shredder with regard to the physical and chemical nitrogen fixation is necessary.