Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Beyond Peat is a project developed to coordinate national efforts to advance the U.S. horticulturalindustry that relies on peat-based substrates to produce specialty crops. Peat moss has long been a primary component of soilless substrates due to its optimal properties. However, recent poor weather conditions have limited the harvest, resulting in harvests under quota in recent years, lowering supply. In addition, added demand for peat moss through new crops shifting to soilless culture (i.e., small fruits, ornamental trees, vegetables, medicinal products) has further strained the supply chain. To continue to move forward, new materials need to be developed to extend the peat supply and ensure that the specialty crops industry continues to grow. The Beyond Peat team will develop substrate materials out of regional biomasses and agfibers that can be used in place of peat or as amendments. Moreover, the team will develop deployment protocols for how to use these substrate materials, specifically with tradition and stratified substrate systems. Finally, the team will assess the social, economic, and environmental concerns assocaited with new substrate materials and shifting our substrate practices.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
50%
Developmental
25%
Goals / Objectives
The Beyond Peat project will reimagine soilless substrate components and systems to meet future specialty crop growers' needs through reducing inputs while maximizing efficiency. The specialty crop industry currently relies on Sphagnum peat, industrial aggregates, and raw forestry byproducts to create substrates which have antiquated physical and chemical property standards for soilless substrate systems. In addition, potential regulation on the use of peat could be proposed, greatly reducing its availability, mandating the need for alternative substrate components and systems. The Beyond Peat project will address the legislatively mandated focus areas of Plant Production and Production Efficiency and Technology to ensure a viable future U.S. specialty crop industry through our objectives: A) advance sustainable substrate components development; B) engineer substrate systems to optimize resource management; C) analyze economic and environmental relationships and considerations of sustainable substrate component adoption for growers and consumers; D) develop outreach strategies which enhance end user adoption of sustainable substrate components; and E) conduct effective Extension and Outreach efforts that result in specialty crop growers' adoption of alternative substrate components and systems. The objectives will be met by modifying and evaluating raw materials available in the U.S.; optimizing stratified substrate systems; validating engineered substrates and stratification techniques in the laboratory and on-farm; economic and Life Cycle analysis of alternative systems; and producer adoption sociological research. Project results will be delivered through a research-informed, robust Extension and outreach plan culminating in a sustainable website and e-Book.
Project Methods
Advance Development of Sustainable Substrate ComponentsWe will create substrate components with replicable methodologies to develop alternatives to peat and other costly substrate materials. We will identify materials and different processing technique to further modify materials for improved durability. Organic biomass materials sourced from across the USA will be characterized for suitability as substrate, by selecting byproducts from lumber sawmills, biomass from paper mills, and herbaceous Agfibers. Physiochemical properties of will be characterized in addition to pre-processing moisture content range, particle size distribution, physiochemical composition including phenolics, fatty acids, tannins, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Feedstock materials will undergo various comminution experimentation using hammer mills. All feedstocks will undergo testing to understand optimal processing parameters in our efforts to create suitable end-products. Parameters to be investigated include 1) feedstock moisture content; 2) feedstock particle size; 3) mill screen size; 4) hammer type; and 5) mill RPM. Once processed, materials will be characterized for physiochemical properties. Selected biomass feedstocks will also be transported to an industry collaborator with an extruder. Feedstock processed with the extruder will be compared to feedstocks processed in hammermills for comparative analysis on physiochemical properties including chemical profiles (phenolics, fatty acids, etc.).Substrate components will then be subjected to physiochemical manipulation via a pilot plant, consisting of a kiln chamber with integrated thermal oil heating system, water spraying, and air chilling/heating/ pressurizing system. Optimized processing conditions (temperature, pressure, moisture, and time) will be developed to degrade hemicellulose and other components for improving fiber durability. Decay resistance of processed fibers will be assessed. We will use two-step acid hydrolysis to determine the content of structural carbohydrates and lignin. Effects of aging will be evaluated with materials stored and monitored 90 days for changes in pH and extractives. Soluble chemical extractives will be used in plant culture bioassays, in seed germination and sand culture growth trials.Engineer Substrate SystemsSelected non-phytotoxic substrate components will be blended to targeted physiochemical properties and used to produce specialty crops. Plant vigor will be measured over time, evaluating root and shoot dry mass, mineral nutrition, blooming, and yield. Scalable on-farm trials using our selected blends subjected to conventional production cultural practices.Stratified substrate systems utilizing new engineered fibers will be evaluated with newly engineered fibers used as sub strata, and reconstituted into the upper peat-based strata. We will develop best practices for implementing stratified substrate systems utilizing experimental fibers with on-farm evaluations. Standard operating procedures for strata-pairing, container filling techniques, and cultural practice modifications will be established.Hydraulic models of substrate blends utilizing newly engineered fibers will be assessed through evaporative method and develop predictive computer simulations of water availability and movement via HYDRUS 2D/3D. Models will be validated through crop production with plants grown under different irrigation regimes. Reduced irrigation applications will evaluate plant health and productivity as well as crop physiological response to optimize water:air balance for new fiber substrates. Rapid nitrogen immobilization index will be calculated for each newly engineered substrate component. N and C species emissions will be measured using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. We will measure shoot and root dry weight and mineral nutrient content. Fertilizer placement research will reduce fertilizer inputs. Decomposition rates will be assessed via gaseous emissions by CO2 efflux with a closed chamber designed for nondestructive CO2 measurements. The microbiome of substrate systems will be characterized using a gene DNeasy PowerSoil kits to determine the relationship between decomposition rates and microbial consortia.Analyze social, economic, and environmental relationships and considerationsWe will identify demographic and sociographic factors that influence growers' decision-making and use them to develop optimally effective extension/outreach initiatives. We will conduct an online survey and hold focus groups at extension workshops. Online surveys with visual materials will highlight costs and rewards of adoption to determine their impact on adoption. An interactive experience will measure producers' willingness to pay (WTP) more for substrate alternatives. Decision support tools based on LCA results, will focus on the environmental benefits of substrate adoption. We will also conduct a national online survey to evaluate consumer preference and WTP for alternative substrates via discrete choice experiment of 1,000 U.S. residents. The economics of generating and utilizing new substrate materials will be assessed through a series of production frontier models (PFM). The first PFM will rely on experimental data, and the second will use data generated via on-farm trials and survey responses. Direct interpretation of results will reduce technical barriers or alleviate production inefficiencies when sustainable substrates are utilized.We will build a user-friendly model that quantifies the carbon emissions of traditional and alternative substrates to explore how changing substrates will impact the C intensity of their operations. The carbon emissions model will be composed of separate modules for 1) feedstock production, 2) feedstock storage, 3) feedstock transport to processing, 4) feedstock processing, 5) processed substrate transport to the consumer, and 6) emissions during plant growth. Users will input location and substrate and the model will output the net C emissions. The model will have a simple user interface, with data and calculations also available. Models will rely on literature and CO2 and CH4 emissions collected herein.EvaluationWe will ensure stakeholders are reached where, and when they want information. Existing and emerging data will create evidence-based content repository regarding soilless substrates. In addition, we will develop an electronic and printable content series for specific, evidence-based concerns related to soilless substrate awareness and adoption. Feedback from stakeholders will quantify the diffusion of soilless substrate innovation. We will assess impacts across all efforts to aggregate the public value of our research and extension/outreach activities, utilize the knowledge gained through stakeholder engagement and technology adoption to guide our programming, and support team members with rigorous quantification of impacts to communicate impact to stakeholders. We will use impact assessment framework to seek stakeholder feedback and measure knowledge gain, behavior change, and associated economic value. Extension impact will be assessed for activities, ensuring we achieve all identified milestones and goals. We will quantitatively evaluate specific targets at annual meetings to ensure that stakeholder input is considered. Each collaborator will document progress, impacts, and adoption. Overall programmatic impacts will be documented and shared with Advisory Board at annual meetings.