Press release

European project MIDAS starts

CEDER-CIEMAT is taking part in the European project MIDAS, about industrial crops on marginal agricultural lands. 

Athens, 23 November 2022.

On the 22nd and 23rd of November, in Athens, project MIDAS was launched. This project is about growing industrial crops on marginal agricultural lands.

MIDAS is a European project framed in the Horizon Europe programme. In four years, it will develop and demonstrate innovative solutions to grow industrial crops on marginal agricultural land and produce a wide range of bio-based products, from biodegradable mulching films to bioherbicides, latex, rubber, biocomposites and other large use consumer products. MIDAS brings together 27 partners from 13 countries; including research organizations, industries and SMEs. MIDAS’ partners are: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), Wageningen University & Research, University of Hohenheim, Università di Catania, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y tecnológicas (CIEMAT), CREA Ricerca, CHIMAR HELLAS SA, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Instituto Técnico Agronómico Provincial (ITAP), Nokian Tyres plc, GuaTecs, Novamont, Valbopan, RE-CORD, Université de Sherbrooke, Kaiima Seeds, European Carbon Farmers, CzecHemp, Agricultural University of Athens, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, SOLTUB, ILIOS, Hellenic petroleum and ETA Florence. 

Thirteen study cases in nine different countries will be carried out for the MIDAS project. In Spain, the study cases are going to be carried out in the provinces of Soria and Albacete.

At the same time, CEDER-CIEMAT is performing some agricultural tests with different industrial crops, so to evaluate its adaptation to marginal agricultural land in Soria. In addition, a demonstrative case study will be performed. In this study, CEDER-CIEMAT will implement an annual crop rotation system with different woody species and perennial herbaceous ones, by using the alley intercropping method. Among the crops considered suitable for this project are, for the annual species, safflower, crambe and hemp. On the other side, some of the woody crops considered are Siberian elm, poplar, willow and guayule. Finally, among the perennial herbaceous plants are miscanthus and lavender.

Furthermore, CEDER-CIEMAT is participating in the lifecycle analysis of the value chains of the bioproducts obtained, as well as in the extraction of essential oils to make bioherbicides and in the characterization of the case study’s biodiversity, derived from the implemented crop system.

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