Funding tool: Basic research projects
Project-ID: FTI25-G-003
Project start: 01. April 2026
Project end: 31. März 2029
Runtime: 36 months / ongoing
Funding amount: € 358.585,00

Brief summary:
Agriculture and water management face critical challenges in achieving sustainable and circular phosphorus (P) management due to the predicted exhaustion of mineral P sources and the detrimental impact of excess P on aquatic ecosystems. The CASPAR project aims to address these issues by developing effective, eco-friendly and low-cost measures for P retention and recycling by using adsorptive materials, intended to mitigate P loads in surface waters and replenish soil P in agricultural landscapes. CASPAR combines laboratory and field experiments to evaluate the efficiency, potential, and limitations of various P adsorbents. Laboratory studies will investigate the influence of environmental factors such as P concentration, hydrology, and adsorbent configurations on P removal capacities. Field studies will assess the performance of the most promising materials as in-stream and end-of-field measures. Furthermore, the project explores the recycling potential of P-saturated materials as slow-release fertilizers. CASPAR represents the first step towards a large-scale application of sustainable, circular P management strategies across the land-water interface in Lower Austria. Despite extensive research on adsorptive materials, not much is known about their performance under realistic field scenarios. This research is innovative in bridging the gap between laboratory experiments and practical applications, increasing our understanding of the scalability and applicability of P adsorption materials for nutrient management. Insights gained from this study will catalyze further experimental research under real-life conditions, and contribute to the development of practical solutions for an improved, closed-loop P management on a landscape scale.

Keywords:
Nährtstoffmanagement, Eutrophierung, Erosion, Kreislaufwirtschaft, Wasserschutz