Agronomy of Microbial Plant Biostimulants
Fernando González-Andrés (PI)
Professor
PHONE NUMBER
+34-987-291-840
Other group members
Ismael Mazuecos Aguilera
Researcher
Francisco Anta Fernández
Researcher
Raúl López González
Technician
Research lines
- Microbial plant biostimulants
- Bioelectrochemical systems for the treatment of wastewater, slurry and other wastes (MEC and MFC). Use of BES for nutrient recovery
- Production of biochar by pyrolysis and its agronomic use
- Development of new technologies and materials for the optimization of anaerobic digestion
- Transformation of CO2 into BES systems and development of bio-cathodes
Representative publications
- M. Isabel San-Martín, Raúl M. Alonso, Francisco Ivars-Barceló, Adrián Escapa, Antonio Morán. Complete arsenic removal from water using biocatalytic systems based on anaerobic films grown on carbon fibers.Catalysis Today, Volume 423,2023, 114269, ISSN 0920-5861, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2023.114269.
- Guillermo Pelaz, Daniela Carrillo-Peña, Antonio Morán, Adrián Escapa. Microbial electromethanogenesis for energy storage: Influence of acidic pH on process performance, Journal of Energy Storage, Volume 75,2024,
109685,ISSN 2352-152X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.109685. - Ortiz-Liébana N, Crespo-Barreiro A, Mazuecos-Aguilera I, González-Andrés F. Improved Organic Fertilisers Made from Combinations of Compost, Biochar, and Anaerobic Digestate: Evaluation of Maize Growth and Soil Metrics. Agriculture. 2023; 13(8):1557. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081557
- Barquero M, Cazador C, Ortiz-Liébana N, Zotti M, Brañas J, González-Andrés F. Fertilising Maize with Bio-Based Mineral Fertilisers Gives Similar Growth to Conventional Fertilisers and Does Not Alter Soil Microbiome. Agronomy. 2024; 14(5):916. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050916
- Mazuecos-Aguilera, I., Salazar, S., Hidalgo-Castellanos, J. et al. Combined application of N-fixing PGPB and rice straw mulch compensates N immobilization by straw, improving crop growth. Chem. Biol. Technol. Agric. 11, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-024-00555-3
- Crespo-Barreiro, A., Mazuecos-Aguilera, I., Anta-Fernández, F. et al. Enhancing Drought Resistance in Olive Trees: Understanding the Synergistic Effects of the Combination of PGPR and Biochar. J Plant Growth Regul (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-025-11693-9
- Pastor-Bueis R, Jiménez-Gómez A, Barquero M, Mateos PF, González-Andrés F (2021) Yield response of common bean to co-inoculation with Rhizobium and Pseudomonas endophytes and microscopic evidence of different colonised spaces inside the nodule. Eur J Agron 122: 126187 (doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2020.126187).
- Araujo J, Urbano B, González-Andrés F (2020) Comparative environmental life cycle and agronomic performance assessments of nitrogen fixing rhizobia and mineral nitrogen fertiliser applications for pulses in the Caribbean region. J Clean Prod 267: 122065 (doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122065).
- San-Martín MI, Escapa A, Alonso RM, Canle M, Morán A (2020) Degradation of 2-mercaptobenzothizaole in microbial electrolysis cells: Intermediates, toxicity, and microbial communities. Sci Total Environ 733: 139155 (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139155).
- Araujo J, Díaz-Alcántara CA, Urbano B, González-Andrés F (2020) Inoculation with native Bradyrhizobium strains formulated with biochar as carrier improves the performance of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). Eur J Agron 113: 125985 (doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2019.125985).
- Alonso RM, Escapa A, Sotres A, Morán A (2020) Integrating microbial electrochemical technologies with anaerobic digestion to accelerate propionate degradation. Fuel 267: 117158 (doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117158).
- Pastor-Bueis R, Sánchez-Cañizares C, James EK, González-Andrés F (2019) Formulation of a highly effective inoculant for common bean based on an autochthonous elite strain of Rhizobium leguminosarum phaseoli, and genomic-based insights into its agronomic performance. Front Microbiol 10: 2724 (doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02724).
- San-Martín MI, Sotres A, Alonso RM, Díaz-Marcos J, Morán A, Escapa A (2019) Assessing anodic microbial populations and membrane ageing in a pilot microbial electrolysis cell. Int J Hydrogen Energ 44: 17304-17315.
- Pastor-Buies R, Mulas R, Gómez-Barrios X, González-Andrés F (2017) Innovative liquid formulation of digestates for producing a biofertilizer based on Bacillus siamensis: Field testing on sweet pepper. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 180: 748-758.
- Marcano IE, Díaz-Alcántara CA, Urbano B, González-Andrés F (2017) Assessment of bacterial populations associated with banana tree roots and development of successful plant probiotics for banana crop. Soil Biol Biochem 99: 1-20.
Grants
- Investigación para peletización y mejora de las características agronómicas de la fracción orgánica de recogida selectiva en origen (FORS) mediante enriquecimiento con estimulantes microbianos – PELLET VIU Entidad de realización: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Tipo de entidad: Agencia Estatal de Investigacion Nombres investigadores principales (IP, Co-IP,…): Fernando González-Andrés Nº de investigadores/as: 4 Fecha de inicio-fin: 01/09/2022 – 31/08/2025 Cuantía total: 124.792,4 €
- Estudio de dosificación y optimización de componentes de CYSTIUM (DOSECYS) Grado de contribución: Coordinador del proyecto total, red o consorcio Nombres investigadores principales (IP, Co-IP,…): Fernando González Andrés; Ismael Mazuecos Aguilera; Francisco Anta Fernandez Nº de investigadores/as: 3 Fecha de inicio: 20/11/2023 Duración: 2 años Cuantía total: 137.000 €
- FOLIAR4LIFE – FERTIBERIA Grado de contribución: Coordinador/a científico/a Nombres investigadores principales (IP, Co-IP,…): Fernando González-André Entidad/es participante/s: Fertiberia, S.A.; Universidad de León Entidad/es financiadora/s: Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial Fecha de inicio: 01/09/2022 Fecha fin 31/12/2025 Cuantía total: 64.608,7 € Tipo de entidad: Entidad Empresarial D
- CYSTIUM – Desarrollo de MPB y NMPB
2022-08-01 – 2025-09-30
Financiado por: FICOSTERRA, S.L.
Importe: 111.304,35 € - Morán A (IP), González-Andrés F (CoIP), Carrillo Peña DA, Sánchez Morán ME, Blanco Cobián D, Martínez Morán O, Mateos González R, Pastor De Los Bueis R, Ortiz Liébana N, Cara Jiménez J, Escapa González A, Gómez Barrios XA, San Martín Bécares MI, Barquero Quirós MP, Martínez Torres EJ (2019-2023) Bio-based fertilising products as the best practice for agricultural management sustainability. H2020-BBI-JTI-2018.
Patents
- Mulas García R, González Andrés F, Brañas Lasala J, Mulas García D (2018) A complex mineral fertilizer comprising the rhizobium leguminosarum microorganism, production process and uses thereof. European patent No. EP3085679B1. Under exploitation by FERTIBERIA S.A.
- Rosas JG, Cara J, Sánchez ME, Moran A (2016) Auto-thermal and mobile pirolizer. Patent No. ES2557492 A1 Spain. University of León (50%) and Mecanotaf S.L. (50%).
Relevant methods
- Scale-up of fermentative processes
- Agronomic test of fertilisers and biostimulants
- Plant-response to biostimulants by means of gene-expression analysis
- Bio-residues pyrolysis
- Residual water and residues treatment by means of bioelectrochemical sistemas (BES), MFC y MEC
Collaborations with other national and international research groups
- Maurizio Zotti (University Federico II, Naples, Italy)
- Raul Nieto Ángel (Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Texcoco, Mexico)
- César-Antonio Díaz-Alcántara, Iris E. Marcano, Juan de la Cruz Araujo (Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
- Carmen Sánchez-Cañizares (Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford University, UK)
