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Hof, August 5, 2026. How can valuable nutrients from agriculture be used more effectively? This is the question addressed by the ReKorD research project at Hochschule Hof. The aim is to transform residual materials from livestock farming into high-quality fertilizers, thereby closing regional nutrient cycles. The project is intended to make agriculture less dependent on mineral fertilizers while conserving resources at the same time.
Rising energy prices, geopolitical uncertainties and the limited availability of mineral resources are presenting agriculture with major challenges. At the same time, livestock-intensive regions in particular generate large quantities of nutrient-rich residual materials whose potential has so far only been partially utilized. This is precisely where ReKorD comes in. “We want to keep valuable nutrients where they are generated and make them available in a form that can be transported efficiently and applied in a targeted manner. This creates the basis for agriculture that is both resource-efficient and economically viable,” explains project leader Dr. Harvey Harbach.
Dr. Harvey Harbach has established the research focus “Resource-Efficient Food Production” as an independent research profile at Hochschule Hof. He is also Deputy Director of the university’s Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa). Together with his interdisciplinary team, he develops innovative solutions at the interface of circular economy, water and resource management, and sustainable food production.
Residual Materials Become Transportable Fertilizer Pellets
The project “ReKorD – Realizing an Interregional Circular Economy through the Development of an Organo-Mineral, Macro-Granulated Fertilizer Based on Residual Materials from Livestock Farming” is being carried out at the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa) at Hochschule Hof.
The project focuses on so-called organo-mineral fertilizer pellets. These are compressed fertilizers containing both organic components derived from agricultural residual materials and mineral nutrients. Their pellet form makes them easier to store and transport and allows them to be evenly applied to agricultural land. The approach combines circular economy principles with modern process engineering to develop a resource-efficient alternative to conventional mineral fertilizers.
First Major Milestone Achieved
The research team has now reached an important development milestone: for the first time, successful fertilizer pellet prototypes have been produced on a laboratory scale. Using a hydraulic press, the team manufactured the first functional pellets, fundamentally confirming the viability of the developed process.
The project is currently still in the proof-of-concept phase, a stage of development in which researchers assess whether a technical idea works in principle and can subsequently be transferred into practical application. The successful prototypes already demonstrate the technical feasibility of the pelletization concept and provide an important basis for further development.
“The first successful pellet prototypes show that our approach works. We are now working to further improve the material properties and optimize the manufacturing process so that economically viable production becomes possible,” says project team member Vineeth Kalathiparambil Girish Kumar.
The team is currently investigating, among other aspects, the optimal composition of the materials, the mechanical stability of the pellets, their storage properties and the controlled release of the nutrients they contain. These findings will provide the basis for a future industrial production process.
Science and Industry Working Hand in Hand
A key success factor for the project is the close cooperation between research and industry. A total of 13 consortium partners contribute expertise from agriculture, materials science, process engineering and environmental technologies. The goal is to translate research findings into practical solutions as quickly as possible.
“The strength of ReKorD lies in its interdisciplinary collaboration. Only by bringing together different fields of expertise and our partners can we turn innovative ideas into concrete applications for agriculture,” Harbach emphasizes.
Contributing to a Regional Circular Economy
ReKorD is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the “Investments in Employment and Growth” Bavaria 2021–2027 program. The ERDF supports projects that promote innovation, strengthen competitiveness and advance sustainable development in regional economies.
With ReKorD, Hochschule Hof is making an important contribution to regional value creation, the more efficient use of natural resources and a future-oriented circular economy in agriculture.
Dr. Harvey Harbach
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