Elaboração do mapa tecnológico (technology roadmap) para fertilizantes nitrogenados suportados de liberação lenta ou controlada

Abstract

The objective of this study was the drawing up of a roadmap, a graphical representation of the technological evolution route for slow or controlled release supported fertilizers. The technology roadmapping method is a decision-making tool used mainly in the industry for the development of planning strategies in order to align market, product and technology in a defined time horizon through the mapping of scientific and technological tendencies. In general, the present study is justified by the need to identify, through a decision-making tool, investment opportunities in R&D over the next ten years, minimizing the negative effects of increasing fertilizer costs due to the increase in global demand for food. Specifically and concretely, the present decision-making tool will enable the prioritization of possible research lines for the implementation of a laboratory for fertilizer development through the results found in the roadmap for the products. The study focused on controlled or slow release supported fertilizers (i) for their improved performance in the gradual release of nutrients in the soil throughout the plant s vegetative period, with the aid of matrices or coatings, as well as (ii) for the decrease of the environmental damage compared to conventional fertilizers. The development of technology roadmapping was based on the mapping of the state of the art and the main technological advances through prospecting in sources of scientific and technological information, such as granted patent, patent application and scientific article documents. The construction of roadmaps, showed graphically in the present study, allowed to identify, analyze and prioritize the most important technological innovations of the product studied within a short-, medium- and long-term time frame. The results demonstrated a search for less aggressive raw materials to the environment and the concern of the authors with the high production costs of a slow or controlled release fertilizer compared to conventional fertilizers. In this regard, projects using biopolymers, silica, clay and biomass as raw material for the support, are promising lines of research in this area. The methodology developed in this work can be applied to other industrial sectors and institutions, considering the necessary adaptations.