A new glass greenhouse has been constructed on the grounds of the University of Alicante with all the necessary equipment to carry out experiments on biological pest control, GM crops and the study of native plant species. It also has a room for insect breeding and reproduction projects, as well as for the exploitation and processing of organic waste.
The greenhouse will host small-scale research projects, including those of teachers and students of the University. The Vice Chancellor of Campus and Sustainability, Rafael Muñoz, and the Vice President for Research, Amparo Navarro, inaugurated the facility, which has 500 square metres with nine modules spread over two floors, including six for the development of crops and three for biosafety.
The building is also equipped with a weather station and has cost 1.2 million euros, with funding from the EU. "It will be connected to the urban development of the science park," stated Muñoz.
The new greenhouse will be attached to the old one, which was already saturated. 70% of it is taken by technology companies carrying out research in biological control. Bionostrum Pest Control breeds insects (hoverflies) in a massive scale to tackle aphid pests and sells their eggs to greenhouses across Europe, thus preventing the use of chemical pesticides. Next year they aim to sell 45,000 eggs per week, as reported by researcher Sara Pascual. Another company, Biofly Tech, is devoted to the artificial breeding of South African soldier flies, among others, to develop a component for cattle feed with larval mass. Two other projects, focused on tomatoes and African orchids, are also on-going at the old facilities.
Furthermore, two new companies, one of them devoted to graphene production and the other to web positioning for SMEs, have joined the science park.
Source: diarioinformacion.com