New innovative growing media blends for tomato and strawberry
The building blocks developed by the Horti-BlueC project have been tested in innovative formulations of growing media in the greenhouse. The full-scale trials with peat-reduced blends for strawberry (i.e., 40% replacement of peat), and renewable blends for tomato (i.e., 100% replacement of peat, mineral wool, or coir), also containing biochar or chitin, were carried out to test (a) effects of bulk replacement on the crop management and (b) effects of biochar or chitin on reduction of fertilizers and chemical crop protection products. The potential advantages of replacing peat, coir and mineral wool with local and sustainable amendments was considered, including assessing plant growth and yields, plant health, savings of nutrients and chemical crop protection, optimized use of biocontrol organisms, and fruit and growing media shelf life.
