Biosubstrate – Bio based growth media for plant production

  • Zhou, Rong (PI)
  • Petersen, Karen Koefoed (Participant)

Project: Research

Project Details

Description

The aims of the project are to develop, characterize and demonstrate new bio based growth media for plant production in greenhouse and open field. The growth media will be partly based on side and waste streams from other bio based productions in order to completely or partially substitute for sphagnum peat. This will lead to a higher degree of self-sufficiency regarding growth media and to a more sustainable plant production based on renewable resources with reduced climate effect. The development of new growth media will include the whole value chain from production and processing of biomass to formulation of growth media and its use in plant production. Biomasses will include degasified slurry fibres, grass fibres and straw as well as willow, Miscanthus and meadow grass. Processing technologies will include anaerobic digestion, defibration, composting, extrusion and hydrothermal carbonisation. Growth media developed within the project will be characterised and tested on herbs, strawberry and young plants and the sustainability and business potential evaluated. The new growth media should be environmental sustainable, financially competitive and the physical, chemical and biological properties as good as for current peat based media. A 30 % substitution of peat harvested in Denmark will reduce the climate impact by 10.986 tons CO2-eq/year, leaching of nitrogen with 24.951 kg/year and the pesticide use by 2.240 standard doses/year. The economic effect is expected to be 4.4-6.6 mill DKK/year.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date01/01/201931/12/2021

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