The workshop presented the possibilities of using nutrients from dairy wastewater
27.02.2025.JPG)
The workshop "National and regional possibilities of recycling nutrients from dairy production, wastewater and sludge" was held on 21 February at the Institute of Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, SUA in Nitra.
The event was part of the NENUPHAR project, in which SUA is one of the partners in a wider consortium.
The project aims to test advanced technology solutions for recycling nutrients from potential waste sources at three demonstration sites in the consortium. The aim is to mitigate nutrient pollution in the landscape, reduce the cost of fertiliser used, and develop governance models for efficient nutrient management and recycling. SUA is looking at the possibilities of further utilisation of nutrients from dairy wastewater and their potential as organic fertiliser.
The workshop was opened by Professor Pavol Findura, Vice-Rector of SUA and Director of the University Farm, s. r. o., Kolíňany (SUA-UF), which is an associated partner of SPU in Nitra in the NENUPHAR project. The concept, objectives and partners of the project were presented by the project leader for SUA Professor Ľuboš Jurík and Associate Professor Elena Aydin from the Institute of Landscape Engineering. In the practical part of the workshop, representatives of the invited organizations commented on the current management framework of water resources and nutrients in Slovakia, analyzed the degree of cooperation between different sectors, identified the main barriers and proposed possible solutions.
At the end of the workshop, the participants moved to the Environmental Centre of the SUA in Nitra, where they could learn more about the technology under development for the treatment of dairy wastewater using algae. The aim is to capture and utilise the residual nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the wastewater from milk processing and recover them in the form of organic fertilisers in agriculture. In the European Union, but also in the Member States, this issue has become important not only in terms of cost but also in terms of the quality of crop production. The outputs of the NENUPHAR project will be tested in practice on to islands - Cyprus and Bornholm in Denmark.
More than 50 participants took part in the event's activities both in person and online. The project activities will continue with the next workshop "Wastewater from the food industry - a new potential source of nutrients", organised by SUA and SUA-UF in cooperation with project partners from Hungary on 6 March in Vintop Karkó in Búč.
