An agro-industrial process with minimal environmental impact, of the type having a step of cultivating vegetable and/or mushroom products, includes a step of harvesting the products, at least one step of thermo-mechanical treatment of the products in order to obtain intermediate products, and a step of packaging of a final stage of the intermediate products. The thermo-mechanical treatment step provides for a mechanical process of removing the unnecessary parts from the products so as to define waste. The waste, constituted exclusively by vegetable substances, is separated from the intermediate products, intended for the subsequent treatment and packaging steps, and sent into a biogas production unit. The digestate, constituted by the waste of the biogas production unit, is used as a fertilizer on the respective cultivation soil in a new step of cultivation of vegetable products.

The present invention is an organic manure which is prepared by mixing or blending natural ingredients along with sufficient amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and other micro-nutrients. Moreover, this invention also relates to the process of preparing the above organic manure.

Disclosed is a method for removing an antibiotic resistance gene by using ionizing radiation, wherein same comprises treating antibiotic-microorganism residues using ionizing radiation to destroy the DNA of microbial cells, thereby realizing the effective removal of the resistance gene, and same can simultaneously degrade residual antibiotics, wherein the ionizing radiation is performed using gamma rays or a high energy electron beam generated by an electron accelerator. The radiation in the method can be performed at room temperature and has broad application prospects in the environmental field.

A method for capturing material extracted from biochar is provided comprising the steps of: (i) providing a biochar; (ii) contacting the biochar with an extraction media, where the extraction media causes the removal of residual compounds from the pores and surface of the biochar, creating a resulting extract comprised of the extraction media and removed compounds; and (iii) collecting the resulting extract. The method also can include other steps of extraction and purification. The method further comprises the step of applying the resulting extract to seeds, plants, soil, other agricultural products, or for use in other applications. A biochar having high levels of soluble signaling compounds is also provided, where the biochar is derived from a biomass source that together with predefined pyrolysis parameters produces resulting biochar having increased levels of soluble signaling compounds that are known to increase seed germination rates and early plant growth.

A growth medium for fungus is obtained by: (a) treating a mixture of lignocellulosic biomass and water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130 C to about 220 C for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours; (b) periodically measuring a pH of the mixture for substantially an entire duration of the treating step; and (c) as necessary, based on the pH of the mixture measured in step (b), adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding abase to the mixture. A method for producing the growth medium for fungi and a method for cultivating fungi are also provided.

A food recycler can include a case having a case volume between 8.79 liters and 35 liters, a control system, a user interface in electrical communication with the control system, and a bucket being configured with a bucket volume, wherein a ratio of the bucket volume to the case volume is between 0.0717 and 0.2857. The recycler can include a motor in communication with the control system, the motor being configured adjacent at least in part to the bucket, a gearbox configured below the bucket and in mechanical communication with the motor, a filter system and a drying component configured to remove water from waste food items.

A food recycler can include a housing having a housing volume, a motor in electrical communication with a controller, a grinding mechanism in mechanical communication with the motor, a bucket having a bucket volume, the bucket being configured with the grinding mechanism contained therein, and a removable filter having a side wall, a top surface, a bottom surface and a filter material, wherein the side wall, the top surface, the bottom surface and the filter material are all made from a compostable or biodegradable material. A ratio of the bucket volume to the housing volume can be between 0.0717 and 0.2857, inclusive. The motor can be configured within the housing adjacent, at least in part, to the bucket.

The present invention provides a biodegradable substrate for supporting growth of seeds or clones. The substrate comprises: about 70% to about 95% hemp fibre and about 5% to about 30% of a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer. The present invention also provides a process for preparing a biodegradable substrate for supporting growth of seeds or clones from a hemp fibre-based mat.

The subject invention provides microbe-based compositions comprising biologically pure yeasts, and/or one or more microbial growth by-products, such as enzymes. In certain embodiments, the enzymes are phytases. Methods of using these compositions to liberate phosphates from phytic acid-containing organic matter are also provided.

Compositions of micronutrients and organic compounds used in the treatment, coating and encrustation of seeds of cultivated plants, the compositions associated with the assistance and stimulation of the process of biological nitrogen fixation in the crop cycle, and advantageous in the event of abiotic stresses, mainly in the establishment and germination of the crop and stimulation of the plant growth provided by the components thereof. Formulations of the composition are combinations of cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, amino acids, plant extracts and algae extracts, within the variations and proportions thereof, together with additives and excipients.