The ‘HoFaTo’ project is investigating the use of nitrogen-enriched lignins and wood fibres as alternatives to conventional peat substrates. A recently published review summarises the research results on the process of nitrogen enrichment (amoxidation process) from the current literature. It focusses on the different resulting structures and their influence on nitrogen release. The summary shows that a large proportion of the nitrogen is strongly bound, which leads to very long-term release properties. When used in plant substrates, however, a medium-term release within a few weeks to months is more desirable.
From this, a need for research is derived in order to better understand the relationships between structures in the enriched lignin and the availability of nitrogen in the plant substrate and to be able to better control the production processes. The development of effective peat substitutes helps to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients to plants and to promote the use of renewable materials.
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To the article on: sciencedirect.com
To the Thuenen project: Wood Fibers as peat substitutes
