From olive oil to zeolado (zeolite olive oil) – Nikos Lygeros
‘From olive oil to zeolado (zeolite olive oil)’ was the title of Nikos Lygeros’s talk in Filiatra on Thursday evening at the Vorreio Cultural Centre, where the distinguished Greek professor spoke about the properties and multiple uses of zeolite, which is found in abundance in Greece.
Focusing his talk mainly on its applications in agriculture, he highlighted the significant benefits it can bring to crop production, as when applied to the soil it reduces the need for fertilisers, retains nutrients in the upper soil layers, retains moisture and releases it gradually, whilst, where it has been used, it has shown significant improvements in the growth of plants and trees, as well as in the quality and quantity of produce. It also has many applications in livestock farming as well as in numerous other sectors, such as industry, the environment, medicine and aquaculture. It was emphasised that significant quantities of this mineral have been identified in Thrace, where its extraction is due to commence in 2014, whilst he cited numerous examples of trials involving its use and their positive results.
Mr Lygeros and his impressive CV were introduced by the chair of the Philoprodos Association of Filiatra, Paraskevi Pantelaki, whilst the mayor of Trifylia, Kostas Kollias, welcomed him to the municipality. Speaking to ‘E’ about this particular mineral, Mr Lygeros emphasised: ‘It is a mineral with four key properties: it is hydrophilic and binds free radicals, heavy metals and toxins. This allows us to use it in various sectors such as hydrocarbons, agriculture, livestock farming and human use. Thanks to its effectiveness, it helps us to reduce fertiliser use and eliminate heavy-duty pesticides, whilst being compatible with both organic and conventional farming – and all this with a natural product. Another point is that Greece has large deposits of zeolite in Thrace; extraction is due to begin in 2014, and the idea is to make the most of it and raise public awareness. A key feature of the region is that it can also be used in agriculture, in crop cultivation and in livestock farming.”
K.B.