Due to environmental impacts of using peat, there is societal and political pressure to develop more sustainable horticultural growing media. A possible option is a lignocellulosic fibrous material from pulpwood residues, after hemicellulose has been removed in a nonchemical process to be used as animal feed. The remaining product represents a renewable organic material that is less easily decomposed and thus less likely to immobilise nitrogen in plant production compared to ordinary wood fibre. Norsk Skogsmelasse AS plans to produce hemicellulose for feed production at an industrial scale at Fiskå, where the side stream of lignocellulosic material is estimated to amount to about 500.000 m3/yr. Researchers in plant and soil science from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) will, in close cooperation with the industry, use this material to develop horticultural substrates that can replace peat in professional horticulture. They will determine physical, chemical and biological properties with respect to stability and support for healthy plant production and consider the use different additives, such as biochar, to develop strategies for reduced chemical pest control. Four of the best Norwegian professional growers representing diverse plant production profiles will test the substrate blends to document the quality and give feedback to the researchers for further development. Both environmental and economic sustainability will be evaluated in an international cooperation. The PeatFree proposal is divided into seven work packages (WPs) where close cooperation will effectively build competence and allow communication both between project partners and towards the greenhouse industry and society in general. One Post-Doctoral fellow and one PhD-student as well as MSc students will participate in the project.
