The European project LignoBioLife will test its bioproducts in the lavander plantations of Brihuega

A new collaboration agreement will allow to test the qualities of two bioproducts: biochar, as a soil improver, and wood vinegar, as a natural herbicide.

The Department of Environment of FGUA and Hnos. Corral Manzano, the most important producer of aromatic plants in the province of Guadalajara, has signed a collaboration agreement, to seek greater sustainability in their plantations, specifically, of lavender.

The agreement is reached within the framework of the European project Lignobiolife, coordinated by the Department of Environmental of FGUA, which works to obtain, wood vinegar from forest residues, a natural herbicide that would replace the controversial glyphosate. In addition, Biochar, an edaphic improver that lasts hundreds of years in the soil, is obtained in the process.

"We are very interested in improving the sustainability of agricultural practices of lavender, which is an emerging crop and closely linked to sustainable land use. In addition, it is essential to reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture and to look for viable substitutes for the farmers”, points out Dr. Juan Luis Aguirre, technical director of the Department of Environmental of  FGUA.

Throughout the two years of the project, the effectiveness of both bioproducts has already been verified. With this new agreement, the well-known aromatic company joins other agreements for the application of these bioproducts already established with the Cooperativa Agraria Santa María Magdalena, dedicated to the production of quality wines, and the Denomination of Origin of Mondéjar wines, also in the province of Guadalajara.

The ultimate objective is to promote the creation of biorefineries in these areas, that allow these natural products to be placed on the market and that can be useful for pest control, agriculture and more sustainable works.