ZeoWine

Agricultural soils are subjected to strong production pressures, which lead to a progressive reduction in fertility; in this period, it becomes therefore necessary to develop strategies and protocols for the management of soils and crops, and to develop products that can increase productivity and at the same time improve and maintain the health of agricultural soils.

Mediterranean vineyards, especially if subjected to intensive viticulture practices, are particularly exposed to the risks associated with erosion, such as deterioration of soil quality, loss of organic matter, pesticide contamination and compaction.

DND Biotech took part in a project funded by the European Union, whose objective is to improve the management and protection of the soil of the vineyards, promote the well-being of the vine and increase the quality of grapes and wine, through the application to soil of a new fertilizer, called ZeoWine.

This product is made by combining clinoptilolite zeolite with a compost obtained on a company scale from the reuse of processing waste from grapes, pomace and stalks.

The objectives that DND Biotech has set while tackling this project are many:

• Develop composting protocols to introduce the culture of the circular economy and the enhancement of waste to companies to promote the environmental, economic and social sustainability of businesses.

• Carry out in-depth analyzes on soil, plants, grapes, must at chemical, chemical-physical and biological levels to define the effectiveness and quality of the product

• Introduce metagenomic analyzes of the microbiome of soils and QBS-ar analyzes of soils, to establish a correlation between the quantitative and qualitative yield of the vine, the taxonomic and functional structure of the microbial population and of the soil mesofauna, following the application of ZeoWine.

The ZeoWine project is divided into different phases, which define and implement a series of protocols for composting waste from the vineyard chain with zeolite, and protocols for the application of the product on a new vineyard system and on vine plants in production.