Activity Horti-BlueC is organising 4 webinars

From waste to resource: Interreg 2 Seas Horti-BlueC is pleased to present 4 webinars on the valorisation of 5 local byproducts into building blocks for more re-usable and sustainable growing media in horticulture for the future.

How feasible are those valorisation chains, both technically, economically and logistically? Which processing or treatment is necessary to convert the waste streams into valuable resources for replacing peat, coir and mineral wool? Do these building blocks truly contribute to effective new growing media blends for strawberry and tomato plants, with reduced fertilizer and chemical crop protection product use?

These questions will be addressed in the four webinars. The first three will take place this Spring and the fourth webinar is planned for Fall 2021. Check the calendar for the announcement and registration link of the Horti-BlueC webinars.

Horti-BlueC webinar 1

The topic of the first webinar was the large scale gasification of residual biomass such as the woody fraction of green waste and plant fibers. The conversion of this material provides energy for heating and lighting of greenhouses. The produced charred material, named biochar, is rich in carbon and has the potential to help mitigate climate change via C sequestration. When added to growing media, biochar can increase the fertility, horticultural productivity and the resistance of plants against specific foliar and soil-borne diseases.

Horti-BlueC webinar 2

In the second webinar, the conversion of shellfish waste into chitin was discussed. Chitin can be used as a renewable N fertilizer and microbial stimulant when applied in growing media for soilless cultivation. For a short introduction, watch this video.

Horti-BlueC webinar 3

In the third webinar it was all about recycling of spent growing media. Spent growing media can be directly reused or can be processed into biochar or compost.