BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 25. Azerbaijan has begun implementing a pilot project with an Italian company aimed at restoring degraded lands and exploring alternative raw materials for biofuel production, the Ministry of Agriculture told Trend.
This initiative is being implemented under a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), and Italy’s Eni S.p.A. during President Ilham Aliyev’s working visit to Italy on September 5, 2024.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the memorandum outlines several key objectives, including the cultivation of oilseed crops on degraded lands as a sustainable alternative to conventional oil and its derivatives. Additionally, it promotes the use of green manure crops within crop rotation systems to enhance soil quality, alongside the evaluation of the potential for reprocessing used vegetable oil waste. The memorandum also includes the study of converting existing conventional oil refineries in Azerbaijan into biofuel processing facilities, leveraging Eni’s advanced technological expertise.
In alignment with the action plan established for this project, a pilot initiative has already been launched. As part of this effort, the Crop Research Institute, under the Ministry of Agriculture, conducted spring trial plantings at the Kurdamir Experimental Station. The project, titled “Determining the Prospects for the Cultivation of Oilseed Crops Under Azerbaijani Conditions,” aims to restore soil fertility in saline and degraded areas while optimizing production efficiency.
The ministry noted that amid global climate change, the use of oilseed crops for biofuel production as an alternative to oil has become increasingly relevant. The pilot project seeks to assess Azerbaijan’s potential in this area. Taking into account the need to mitigate climate change impacts and introduce new crop varieties suited to local soil and climate conditions, oilseed varieties imported from Italy were initially tested in Azerbaijan. The main goal is to evaluate their adaptability, productivity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors, and the applicability of new cultivation technologies.
During the implementation of the project, seed germination rates were carefully monitored in accordance with ISO standards, while agrochemical indicators of the soil and the chemical composition of irrigation water were analyzed to establish optimal fertilizer application rates. The trials adhered to approved sowing norms and planting schemes, utilizing a range of mustard plant varieties, including camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz), crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst. ex R.E.Fr.), and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), alongside sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and castor (Ricinus communis L.) varieties. Specific varieties tested included "Fms Brilhante," "Caroline," "Omega," and "CAR. Cw 99ol," "Oscar," "RGT Angello," "RGT Volcano," "RGT Capitoll," "Idillic," "Mia," "Tamar," "Bhim+," "Gch9," and "Evf701."
Phenological observations were conducted throughout the growing season, documenting plant growth stages, measuring photosynthetic parameters, and assessing phytosanitary conditions. Key indicators of vegetative and generative development were recorded, alongside grain yield assessments for each variety.
Preliminary results indicate that certain varieties demonstrated notably higher productivity compared to others. Specifically, both tested safflower varieties, along with the sunflower varieties "RGT Angello" and "Idillic," as well as castor bean varieties "Tamar" and "Bhim+," showed superior productivity.
These initial findings suggest that the oils derived from the selected varieties hold significant potential for use in Azerbaijan as raw materials for biofuel or engine oil production, thereby opening up a new agricultural production sector. Work on the pilot projects, under the framework of the memorandum of understanding, continues, with plans including the publication of scientific studies, expansion of trial plantings, economic assessments of cultivating on degraded lands, and an evaluation of the prospects for large-scale production nationwide.
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