Norges Forskningsråd, Andersen Gartneri, Ekeberg Myhrene, Guren Gartneri, Hodne Gartneri, Grimstad Planteskole, Fjell Hagebruk, LOG, Fiskå Mølle
About the project
Due to environmental impacts of peat usage, there is pressure from environmentalists and political leaders for more sustainable horticultural growth media. A possible option is to use the lignocellulosic, wood pulp residues, after the hemicellulose has been removed by a nonchemical process and used as animal feed.
PeatFree will be developed by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in close cooperation with Fiskå Mølle AS, which plans to build a factory, together with AT Skog, for production of hemicellulose that will be used in feed production at Fiskå Mølle. The side stream comprised of lignocellulosic materials (about 500.000 m3/yr.) are the proposed materials to be used as a base in the Peat Free plant growing media.
Additional cooperation will be done with six of the best Norwegian growers with diverse plant production profiles. They have agreed to test the proposed PeatFree medium, in cooperation with Norsk Landbruksrågivning (NLR), which will document the effectivity and sustainability of the Peat Free plant growing blends.
The different blends of the PeatFree will be physically, chemically and biologically analyzed. In additions to the environmental impact of this growing medium. The hypothesis is that appropriate blends will increase the plant’s resistance to plant diseases and will be documented to be efficient and sustainable, horticultural plant growth media. Peat Free growing medium will by success be marketed in Norway, and subsequently throughout the European market where companies are looking for a sustainable, high quality alternative plant growing media.
PeatFree is divided in seven work packages (WPs). There will be close cooperation among the teams working on the different WPs. That mutual co-working will help to effectively build competence and cooperation among companies, researchers and extension staff. One Post-Doctoral fellow, one PhD-students and several MSc. students will co-work with the project leader and with members of each WP and the professional horticultural companies.
Participants
