Gold medal for geocomposites in Brussels

It gathered exhibitors from 13 countries: France, Italy, Croatia, Iran, Russia, Poland and others, who presented 230 innovative solutions including 93 Polish innovations.

A team representing the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław - Krzysztof Lejcuś, Henryk Orzeszyna, Daniel Garlikowski, Andrzej Pawłowski - received a gold medal for a geocomposite element used for enhancing plant growth, and a second gold medal awarded by the Croatian Association of Innovators. The technology created in the Institute of Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy is used for retaining water in soil.

- Geocomposites can be applied in periods of water shortage, allowing plants to survive a drought and, at the same time, utilizing optimal watering and fertilizing, they help plants grow faster – said Doctor Krzysztof Lejcuś, a GOESAP project leader. However, it was the low level of water consumption that aroused the most interest during the exhibition. – Plants which grow in soil enriched with geocomposites require a lot less water, as the technology minimizes its waste. Under lab conditions, one gram of a geocomposite may retain up to 300 grams of water – added Doctor Lejcuś.

On 29 November a conference dedicated to another aspect of innovative technology will take place. Water absorbing geocomposites may also be used in flood banks. Due to the fact that they increase the longevity of plants and minimize their erosion at the same time. It is highly significant not only in a crisis situation - e.g. during flood hazards - but also in the everyday use of flood banks.

ds