Activity Horti-BlueC organised 4 webinars

17/11/2021

From waste to resource: Interreg 2 Seas Horti-BlueC proudly presented 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 were addressed in the four webinars. The first three took place in Spring and the fourth webinar in Fall of 2021. Check Past Events in the Calendar for the recording of the webinars, presentations and related documents.

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.

Horti-BlueC webinar 4

The webinar series was completed with a fourth webinar on the bulk replacement of peat, coir and mineral wool in growing media with biochar, compost, wood and plant fibers.