New Developments In Organic Grow Bags Based On Peat

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New Developments In Organic Grow Bags Based On
Peat

• Oliver Grunert, Maaike Perneel and Stefaan
  Vandaele

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Overview

• Introduction
• Aim of the project
• Results
• Conclusions
• Future Prospects

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Introduction

• Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of
  the most important horticultural crops in the
  world
• Netherlands (6000 ha), Spain (5000 ha),....
• Cultivation is on substrate
• More particulary on rock wool

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Case study Belgium

• 1100 ha greenhouse grown vegetable production
• 523 ha for the cultivation of tomato
• 400 ha (80) on substrate
• 360 ha (90) on rockwool (insulation material)
• Other substrates cocos, perlite,

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Problem

• Annually 30.000 m³ rockwool waste
• Rockwool Inert
• Non-biodegradable
• Not compatible with ecosystem

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Aim of the project

• To develop an alternative substrate for
  greenhouse grown vegetables in particular
  tomatoes,
• which is competitive with existing substrates
  (rock wool),
• but which is based on organic raw materials
• and which is completely decomposable at the end
  of the production cycle

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Experiment 2005

• Full scale plant experiment (400 m²) at national
  institute PCG
• Randomized design
• Wet and dry fertigation regime
• 2 compositions
• peat (grow bag 1)
• peat and cocos (grow bag 2)
• Rock wool

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Results 2005
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Results 2005

• Handling of grow bags is more difficult (weight,
  stability of plant pots)
• Biodegradation of plastic starts in greenhouse
• Root formation
• peat cocos gt rock wool

Peat cocos
Rockwool
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Results 2005

• Bag 1 based on peat performed best under wet
  regimes, bag 2 based on peat and cocos performed
  better under dry conditions
• Less blossom end rot in bag based on cocos
  product, but not significant
• Taste experiments no difference

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Experiments 2006

• Full scale experiment at PCG (400 m²)
• Randomized design
• Wet and dry irrigation regime
• Composition
• peat (Bag 1)
• peat and cocos (Bag 2)
• Rock wool

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Results 2006
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Results 2006

• Bag 2 based on peat and cocos is best under wet
  conditions, the peat bag is best under dry
  conditions, however not significant
• Significantly less Blossom End Rot
• Taste no difference

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Results 2007 Saint Ilan
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Conclusions

• No differences were observed in yield between the
  different substrates
• No differences in taste could be observed
• Less Blossom End Rot for tomatoes grown on peat
  and cocos
• Less declassified fruits when grown on peat
  cocos based grow bags
• Grow bags based on peat and cocos have potential
  to replace rock wool

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Future prospectives

• Presently we are investigating the composting
  process
• Valorisation of the composted product?
• Experiments with new foil

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Peltracom biodegradable grow bag
Thank you for
your attention