Application of Sustainable Chemical Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation and Their Economic Impact on the Agricultural Sector

Abstract

Adverse climatic conditions and, especially water stress, increasingly affect Mediterranean crops as a consequence of climate change. As an innovative and sustainable solution, non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) is presented, as it improves seed properties while avoiding the use of harmful chemical products for the environment. Therefore, this work studies plasma and, specifically, the one generated by dielectric barrier discharge can transform the hydrophobic character into a hydrophilic one in alfalfa and wheat seeds, thereby improving their water-use efficiency. Combined with this experimental analysis, a business plan is developed to assess economic viability in the current agricultural market. Through various assays (water contact angle, germination tests, and water imbibition tests), it is established that the optimal plasma treatment time is short to intermediate (between 30 and 120 s). When combined with physicochemical characterization techniques (OES, ATR-FTIR, SEM), both the reactive species generated and those present on the seed surface are identified, demonstrating that this is a purely local and surface-based technique. Overall, the obtained responses confirm an increase in hydrophilicity and, consequently, an improvement in seed water absorption and germination. Based on the results obtained and the presented context, a B2B business model is proposed, in which plasma treatment is offered as a service. The company adopts a strategy of gradual market penetration in the agricultural sector with strong R&D activity, which entails very high initial costs. In order to penetrate the agricultural market during the first years of operation, the service price is adjusted, despite being well below the estimated cost required to cover expenses. After the analysis conducted, it can be concluded that the proposed technique is an efficient and sustainable solution for improving crop performance; however, the business study clarifies that the sector is not yet prepared to sustain the costs in relation to the benefits provided by the service.