NitroScope is a four-year project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, which aims to develop and implement innovative practices for more precise nitrogen management in the agricultural sector across Europe.
The project consortium consists of 24 partners from 14 European countries – Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland, France, Spain and Serbia, with a total budget of 11.4 million EUR. The project connects scientific institutions, companies, civil society organisations and decision-makers in a joint effort to improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce its negative impact on the environment.
Agricultural production in Europe is increasingly suffering from the consequences of the incorrect use of mineral fertilisers – only 30–50% of nitrogen is absorbed by plants, while the rest is lost through leaching of nitrates into groundwater and the release of gases such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), one of the most harmful greenhouse gases.
These losses are not only an environmental problem, but also an economic one for farmers and the entire agribusiness industry. Reducing fertiliser use without yield losses, as well as adequately measuring and monitoring nitrogen flux, are key steps towards a transition to sustainable agriculture.
The main objective of the project is to provide systemic solutions for better quantification and management of European nitrogen fluxes, from field application to use across the European continent, in order to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and reduce nitrogen losses, in particular through nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions across Europe.
The project objectives will be achieved through an interconnected set of activities that include more precise monitoring of nitrogen fluxes at 125 locations in 10 different pedo-climatic zones, using advanced sensors and digital tools for continuous measurement of nitrate concentrations and nitrous oxide emissions. The collected data will serve as a basis for developing decision-making models and for testing existing and improving new nitrogen management practices – from variable rate fertilisation to optimal residue management.
Special emphasis will be placed on the active role of farmers and other stakeholders, who will be directly involved in nitrogen monitoring and management through practical digital solutions.
The project aims to improve the overall understanding of nitrogen fluxes in agro-ecosystems and thus contribute to the creation of a more accurate European nitrogen budget and the formulation of more effective policies in the field of agroecology and environmental protection.
The Institute for Development and Innovation is leading a work package aimed at fostering the implementation of nitrogen management strategies, taking into account the different geographical, cultural and socio-economic contexts of the project sites.
The aim is to encourage the wider adoption of innovative practices by involving farmers, decision-makers and other key stakeholders, as well as by assessing the social, economic and environmental impacts of these strategies.
The Institute will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the environmental and socio-economic impact of the proposed strategies – from resource savings, pollution and emissions reductions, to the impact on incomes, production sustainability and the well-being of rural communities. The Institute for Development and Innovation will work to identify barriers and drivers for their adoption, develop approaches that support implementation in practice, and use the insights gained to organise training and demonstrations.
In addition, the Institute is responsible for analysing public policies and developing recommendations that will enable the long-term integration of the project results into agricultural practice and policy frameworks at national and European levels.
The Institute’s goal is to encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and the transition to climate-resilient systems through the NitroScope project. Within NitroScope, as well as the RURALITIES, DALIA, and ClimaPannonia projects, the Institute for Development and Innovation advocates for models of sustainable natural resource management through scientific collaboration and innovation.
