The horticulture diligence is constantly looking to improve itself . With a view to sustainability , circular material play a major theatrical role in this effort . Grow 22 , an event hosted by Kekkilä - BVB , explored the ways to reach a higher degree of disk shape in tender material used in the industriousness – specifically when it comes to substratum , so as to replace peat .
The panel was hosted by Marck Hagen , Innovations Director at Kekkilä - BVB , and sport Chris Blok , undertaking manager Greenhouse Horticulture with Wageningen University & Research , and Adriaan Lieftinck , conscientious objector - founder and CEO of MEZT , a spin - off of Delft University . Both Chris and Adriaan have done a lot of inquiry to close up the loop in the agriculture sector .
Alternatives to peatAsked about the biggest challenges in this regard , Chris says it ’s “ a scrap of a two - fold challenge . One is to reduce the amount of peat to remain on speaking terms with society and the authorities . On the other bridge player , there ’s the ontogenesis of alternatives – they need to get through the stratum of the current peat products . ”
He point out there are quite a few alternatives available , but none of them can replace peat on their own . “ So it needs to be a blend , and the blend needs to have a quality matching that of peat . So that ’s a challenge for the coming years . ”
Volatile marketThat ’s the supply part – but there are also expectations to wield . “ In itself , the book in the market could be sufficient to fill the gap , ” Chris believes . “ But some other things are also happening in society . For object lesson , Energy Department utilisation results in the employment of Sir Henry Wood products , and that means the demand for wood product is slightly different than when we start with these prognoses . ” The same applies to compost and constituent waste material , which used to be abundant in the securities industry . “ But now more and more applications are found for these materials , such as bring forth fertilizer . So the market is moving at a rapid gait , and prices are change . ” As a result , the amount useable are also changing .
So how can the get medium industry contend with the energy food market ? Chris believes it ’s still possible . “ The amount of money the energy market can expend on stark naked material is trammel – provided gas prices render to normal levels . ” take a longer - term perspective , he says the authorities should be remind that it ’s important for organic matter to render to arable soil . “ If you burn it , you ’ll lose the organic matter for tillable soil , which will in itself produce tumid problems . ”
technical innovationsAnother issue , where Adriaan and his ship’s company can run a part , is to bank less on fogey materials . He says technological innovation is authoritative in achieving this goal . “ Looking at history , most challenge have been puzzle out by technical instauration , so that gives us some hope . When we were confronted with the N crisis in the Netherlands a few years ago , we thought that it might be potential to lick it without using the solution politicians put forrader : they require to buy out farmers and deoxidise the amount of livestock in the Netherlands by 50 percent because we need to reduce nitrogen emissions by 50 percent . ”
At MEZT , they cogitate : what if it ’s possible to practice applied science to cut back emissions by 50 percent , without having to rule out one-half of the industry ? “ The resolution we have in helping hand provides the chance to recycle the minerals that are already present in farm , process them a spot , and recycle them as fertilizers . If we carry on along that route , we importantly slim the need for fossil fertilizers . That ’s the route toward sustainable farming in the future tense . ”
Greenhouse fertilizersThe million - dollar doubt is if we can reuse those constitutional element and use them in fertilizer for the glasshouse . Chris is optimistic . “ The advantage of glasshouse gardening is that the fertilizer costs are only 0.5 to perhaps 1 percent of the total overturn of a grower . In arable farming , 30 to 35 percent of a farmer ’s income is used for fertilizers . So a slight increase in price makes it really unmanageable for arable agriculturist to get those fertilizers , but in nursery horticulture that is not a big trouble , as long as it delivers the right tone . ”
Micro food market for mineralsWhen can we wait this hereafter to come ? Already now , Adriaan sees company concerned in buying mineral concentrates from farmers who derive them from manure . “ We counter a micro - level mart where any farmer who has a excess or famine of any mineral will be able-bodied to merchandise that on a market that will emerge in the near future . And that ’s not only farmers – it can be glasshouse growers or other parties as well . ”
Life after substrateThe front of the mineral provision chain is already front in force , but what happens to substrates after they ’ve been used ? Chris and his team are doing research there as well , and solvent have shown that plant food used for mushrooms can be reused to give mushroom a boost against fungal disease . “ So there are opportunity , but it will take some clip to be developed into a firm ware . ”
The fact that MEZT technology can selectively extract ammonium , atomic number 19 and phosphate will be very utilitarian here , Adriaan explains . “ We can recombine them in the accurate , correct proportion , taking into account the crop , the grime and the season . ” This can be useful not only for manure - based fertilizers , but also in the nursery diligence , to put together base dressings .
next visionsChris believes that in the future tense , the new technology will lead to a much more accurate use of goods and services of the right microbes in biostimulants . Adriaan goes a step further : “ You not only need to land in microbes , you also need to give the nutrient to that germ , so that you really have the right colonies in the future tense . And I also ask that animal - based fertilizers can have a great essence on that . ” While this is still a theoretical notion , it offers an exciting vision for the hereafter .
To help make this work , regulations ask to be updated urgently , says Adriaan . “ The idea that whatever comes out of a moo-cow is manure , is very limited . Even if you take out the unwanted heart and soul , it ’s still manure accord to the rules . So we have to check that our regularization keeps up with the technical possibleness . That ’s something we all need to chip in to – convincing the regulators . ”
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