In agriculture, the use of natural products to replace synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, without however affecting the yield, but rather, if possible, by increasing it, will be fundamental, as specifically foreseen by the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Union. The objective of this project is to test the application in agriculture of biochar and wood distillate, two by-products of the use of waste wood biomass for the production of electrical and thermal energy through pyrolysis, thus offering a formidable example of circular economy. In particular, biochar will be tested with the aim of combating the effects of climate change, improving the characteristics of the soils and the productivity of agroecosystems, thanks to its ability to counteract salinity and promote water retention. Wood distillate will instead be tested both as a biostimulant and as a biopesticide in some of the main plants of agronomic interest grown in the Mediterranean. With this project, the potential to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals in the agricultural sector will be evaluated, while providing high yield, nutraceutical value and crop quality. Both the positive impact on biodiversity and the ecosystem, and the possible environmental side effects of
ecotoxicological concern will also be assessed.