Finnish party Novarbo has been act towards a peat - free substratum for their products for some time . Pirita Luolamaa - Vollebregt has been leading the fashion in working with and improving unexampled raw materials that are both sustainable and cost - effective . A combination of Grant Wood fibers and acrotelm prove to be a successful alternative to peat . From the newly opened Biofiber Factory , the company can supply their substrate client with a unchanging get supplying of wood fibre and a admixture of Mrs. Henry Wood fiber and acrotelm .
Pirita Luolamaa - Vollebregt and Tuulia Valkama
AcrotelmIt has been quite some age since Pirita saw the opportunity of acrotelm for the greenhouse industry . Acrotelm is the actively develop airfoil layer of peat bog , containing sphagnum moss mosses , grasses , subshrub and other Earth’s surface botany . Its heaviness can alter from 10 to a few tens of centimetre . And what ’s even more important : Acrotelm is capable of regenerate in 20 - 25 years after harvest , making it a chop-chop renewable biomass .
Wood fiber
Wood fibre mixed with acrotelm
However , in a substrate , you’re able to not apply more than 30 percent acrotelm , because it makes the substrate too wet and difficult to work with . " We find wood fibre as an addition to produce a viable substrate that is both sustainable and monetary value - in effect . " Unlike moss , which dissemble as a sponge and retains too much wet , wood fiber is much easy to work with . " It ’s also renewable and much more sustainable than traditional substrates , which are energy - intensive to create and not biodegradable , " say Pirita . " One of the key benefit of using wood fiber as a substrate is that it can be easy composted . This intend that after the growing season is over , the substratum can be reprocess and used again in next grow media . This is a substantial improvement over traditional substrates like stone wool , which can not be composted and must be chuck out of after use . "
There are some challenge to using Natalie Wood character as a substratum . " Wood vulcanized fiber is not cheap , and with the energy crisis , it ’s become even more expensive . " to boot , the price of woodwind micro chip has also lead up , which could impact the party ’s plans for using Sir Henry Wood fiber in their substrates . for no longer depend on other provider , they decided to gift in their own manufactory .
Production startedThe Biofiber Factory , which is possess by Novarbo ’s parent company , Bioland Group , has been instrumental in rise these new raw stuff . The building of the raw mill started in the fall of 2021 , and the first trial runs were made the next dusk . At the beginning of 2023 , professional product started . Pirita explains that " the factory make 100 percent woods fiber , which is a slack product . " This intersection can be used as a standalone substratum or mixed with other materials like peat or coco to make a variety of substrates for different type of crop . The first wood fibre - contain substratum are currently being manufactured , and the first batch of Grant Wood fiber is on its room to Dutch substrate companies , who will supply growers look for sustainable and cost - effective substratum with fewer or no peat .
" Acrotelm and Mrs. Henry Wood fiber can be used as a peat - free alternative , but can also be used in a mixture with peat or coco , to at least scale down the use of these materials . Growbag supplier apply the pure wood fiber in the mix , and upon request , we can mix it with the acrotelm as well " , she says .
" Thanks to the Modern factory , it looks like we can even increase the percentage of harvested acrotelm being used up to 100 % , whereas before , we lose some product after the drying and sieving . Using 100 % of the acrotelm will make the product more sustainable and flashy as well . "
The new substrate materials are include in a project of the Finnish Glasshouse Growers ' Association and Natural Resources Institute Finland , where professional growers prove them with several unlike crops .
In the hereafter , Pirita hopes to not only make the substrates toll - efficient but also a true alternative to peat . " That , or there has to be a harder push from the retail or consumer side . " And also , in terminus of agronomy , she ’s already stat mi ahead . " If you would make the proper potpourri of Grant Wood roughage and acrotelm , it would theoretically be potential to make plastic - gratuitous grow slab . With other substrates , charge card is necessitate to keep the piddle inwardly , but wood fiber / acrotelm develop slabs persist their firm capillair characteristics . think what would happen if we could create plastic - free , raw grow slabs and add the pots on top of the same stuff . Choose credit card - free bindings , and after the grow season , we can clear everything straight to compost in one go ! "
The Biofiber Factory is the largest investment in Biolan Group ’s history , worth more than seven million euro . It has received livelihood from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ’s Nutrient Recycling Experiment Program managed by the ELY Centre of South Ostrobothnia .
For more information : Novarbo OyLauttakyläntie 570 , 27510 EuraTel . : ( 02 ) 5491 680Fax . ( 02 ) 5491 660
© FloralDaily.com/Arlette Sijmonsma
