New crop to provide bio-based produ… – Information Centre – Research & Innovation

© Páll Árnason, 2018

Raising the creation of biomass crops has the possible to assist provide Europe’s increasing population with a safe and sustainable source of food stuff, animal feed, bioenergy and other products.

Even so, since the continent’s most fertile land is by now becoming employed for regular crop creation, the hunt is on for large-yielding biomass crops that can develop perfectly in reduce top quality, marginal soils.

The EU- and market-funded LIBBIO undertaking has discovered the Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis) as an outstanding option for meeting this obstacle.

Increasing perfectly on marginal lands with little drinking water or fertiliser, the plant’s seeds contain an antioxidant-loaded oil, the composition of which is equivalent to argan oil. This would make it perfectly-suited for use in cosmetics, skincare and haircare. The oil could also be employed to make mayonnaise and margarine, although the plant’s protein and fibre could be incorporated into a range of foodstuffs, which includes pasta, noodles and a selection of health food stuff products.

LIBBIO researchers are applying contemporary breeding ways to adapt the Andean lupin to European farming circumstances. In parallel, they are producing a selection of beneficial products applying eco-friendly processing systems.

‘Among the primary benefits of our undertaking is that farmers in the EU now have accessibility to uniform seeds for increasing this crop,’ says undertaking coordinator Páll Árnason of Innovation Centre Iceland. ‘Our genetic toolbox will go on to speed up the improvement of new Andean lupin varieties, and a second “sweet” range – specially suited for food stuff purposes – is by now in the innovation pipeline.’

Progress in the industry

Cropping trials across 7 European countries are ongoing and soon after just a couple of a long time of breeding and line range, the outlook is promising. LIBBIO’s latest work has demonstrated that the new lupin crop can be harvested with current farm machines and economic returns for the farmer are lucrative.

In conditions of the environmental effect, the lupins tested in the industry call for little fertiliser. The plant’s capability to enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphate would make it excellent for crop rotation, whereby other crops gain from improved and regenerated soil. The researchers have also discovered that pollinating insects are captivated by the lupin’s desirable flowers and scent.

Cropping manuals produced by the undertaking will clarify how farmers can develop the Andean lupin in their local ecosystem applying sustainable, zero-emission methods developed to maximize biodiversity, soil fertility and soil security.

LIBBIO researchers are at this time producing and optimising eco-friendly processing systems for extracting oil, protein and other precious substances from the lupin. This strand of investigation features the improvement of an experimental biorefinery that utilizes supercritical carbon dioxide as an eco-friendly solvent in the oil-extraction method.

The initially processing trials are demonstrating the economic feasibility of applying cold-pressed oil to make large-top quality cosmetics, these types of as hair conditioner, lipstick and facial creams.

Planting new concepts

‘We’ve discussed the undertaking benefits at above 80 occasions in 10 countries, at which farmers and consumers could experience the rewards of Andean lupin cropping and its sustainable, bio-based products,’ says Árnason.

‘Larger corporations have been next the undertaking and are very likely to stage in as Andean lupin agriculture grows. I believe that we can anticipate the desire for its several purposes to maximize in the coming a long time.’

Undertaking partner Vandinter Semo is aiming to provide the initially Andean lupin seeds to farmers in 2021. In the meantime, another partner, Coloration&Brain, is producing a new line for the pure cosmetic model ZoiY applying refined Andean lupin seed oil. It is also investigating its use in novel vegan food stuff products.

The Bio-Based mostly Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) is a General public-Private Partnership amongst the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium, working less than Horizon 2020.