Environmentally friendly fertilizers developed by scientists at Sevastopol State University have turned out to be several times cheaper and more efficient than those currently used in the fields of Crimea. This conclusion was reached at the Russian National Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking ‘Magarach’ of the Russian Academy of Sciences after they tested the products developed at Sevastopol State University in their vineyards. “Even when the cost is several times less than that of the analogues currently being used, the same results were obtained, and in some cases the yield was improved by 7–8 percent”, said Vladimir Gavrish, head of the Directorate for the Organization of Scientific Research. Fertilizer production is based on the microbiological destruction of agricultural waste, which is now either rotting in fields or taken to landfill sites. “They are placed in a tank or simply formed into a compost pile and irrigated with special bacteria, mold and fungi that are adapted specifically for this waste. After 20 days the waste is infected with these fungi and then vermiculture is released. Everything is ‘eaten’ in 90-120 days. At the final stage, hydrogravity treatment of the obtained suspension is carried out”, said Vladimir Gavrish. Scientists at Sevastopol State University have already received a patent for their technology and are now working on its commercialization. Crimean winemakers, in particular, ‘Magarach’ showed interest in the developments. This is due to the low energy intensity of production, which therefore allows cheaper fertilizers. In addition, environmental problems are being solved to eliminate waste classed as ‘fourth hazard’. [heading color="#808080" style_color="#4184C2" align="left" width="95" size="13" margin="0"]sevsu[/heading]