WHyGro-in-Me: Waste-based Hybrid Growing Media for PACE Horticulture using biobased polyurethane binders and biowaste filler

WHyGro-in-Me：使用生物基聚氨酯粘合剂和生物废物填料的 PACE 园艺废物基混合生长介质

• 批准号: BB/Z514433/1
• 负责人: Anthony Ryan
• 金额: $ 101.11万
• 依托单位: University of Sheffield
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FZ514433%2F1
• 关键词: WHyGro; Me; Waste; based; Hybrid

With the explosive growth in protected cultivation, there has been an increased demand for growing media. This trend is expected to continue in the future, with growing media production predicted to grow by 420% by 2050. Despite the expected growth in conventional media production, there is still predicted to be a shortfall in the market, with a gap of 65 million cubic metres per year to be taken up by "new" growing media [1]. Our team have been focused on the use of polyurethane foams (PUF) as a growing media where we have shown plant growth can be modelled based on foam properties and PUF substrates have matched rockwool in terms of yield [2,3,4]. While virgin PUF shows promise as a hydroponic growing medium, it is difficult to reuse after a growing season due to disease concerns, requiring costly and time-consuming steam cleaning between uses (similar to other substrates) [5].Conventional mixes, on the other hand, often contain a large peat-based component and as the growing media industry looks to "de-peat", alternatives will need to be found. Many components have been suggested and used to some success, including compost, coco coir, wood chips, wood fibre, biochar, and rice hulls. These components, often biowaste products, bring environmental advantages over finite resources such as peat but suffer from variability in terms of physical and chemical properties due to their organic nature and varying sources [6]. This variability leads to variability in growth, a professional grower's nightmare. This is a global challenge that will require a globally viable, science led solution.This project looks to address the challenge of reducing environmental impacts of PACE production, whilst sustainably increasing yields, by synthesising optimised homogeneous growing media using biowaste based fillers from parallel industries to food production (sawdust, wood fibres, spent grain, sheep wool, cotton fabric, etc.) homogenised and bound together using novel biobased and biodegradable polyurethane prepolymers (bPUP) with tunable embedded fertiliser (Figure 1).Our objectives are:Synthesis and characterisation of novel biobased PUP (Our industrial partner, Vita Cellular Foams, will supply bPUP precursors and PUP for testing).Use of bPUP to bond biowaste fillers and generate homogeneous hybrid biobased-biowaste growing media. Use of a design of experiments (DoE) and modelling based approach to optimise these media to increase crop yield by developing crop and system specific "growing media recipes" with optimised embedded nutrient profiles.Material characterisation and initial crop growth trials completed at the University of Sheffield, while our industrial partner, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), will conduct industrial trials using their state-of-the-art vertical farm technology.Exploration of end-of-life pathways using targeted biodegradation, composting and mechanical recycling of growing media by incorporating specific sites for biodegradation.This project has the potential to generate significant scientific advancement through the synthesis and characterisation of novel bPUPs, as well the development of crop and system specific "media recipes" for PACE horticulture. There is also likely to be economic development by commercialisation opportunities arising from this research. In addition, the project can help establish a UK-based area of expertise in growing media development and characterisation, addressing the current lack of representation in this field.

随着保护地栽培的爆炸性增长，对生长介质的需求不断增加。这一趋势预计未来仍将持续，预计到 2050 年，媒体产量将增长 420%。尽管传统媒体产量预计将增长，但预计市场仍将出现短缺，缺口达 6500 万份每年被“新”生长介质占用的立方米[1]。我们的团队一直专注于使用聚氨酯泡沫 (PUF) 作为生长介质，我们已经证明可以根据泡沫特性对植物生长进行建模，并且 PUF 基材在产量方面与岩棉相匹配 [2,3,4]。虽然原始 PUF 显示出作为水培生长介质的前景，但由于疾病问题，在生长季节后很难重复使用，需要在使用之间进行昂贵且耗时的蒸汽清洁（与其他基质类似）[5]。另一方面，通常含有大量基于泥炭的成分，随着不断发展的媒体行业希望“消除泥炭”，需要找到替代品。许多成分被提出并取得了一些成功，包括堆肥、椰壳纤维、木片、木纤维、生物炭和稻壳。这些成分通常是生物废物产品，与泥炭等有限资源相比具有环境优势，但由于其有机性质和来源不同，物理和化学性质也存在差异[6]。这种可变性导致生长的可变性，这是专业种植者的噩梦。这是一个全球性挑战，需要一个全球可行的、以科学为主导的解决方案。该项目旨在解决减少 PACE 生产对环境影响的挑战，同时可持续提高产量，方法是使用来自平行行业的生物废物基填料合成优化的均质生长介质使用新型生物基和可生物降解的聚氨酯预聚物 (bPUP) 和可调嵌入肥料将食品生产（锯末、木纤维、废谷物、羊毛、棉织物等）均质化并粘合在一起（图1).我们的目标是：新型生物基PUP的合成和表征（我们的工业合作伙伴Vita Cellular Foams将提供bPUP前体和用于测试的PUP）。使用bPUP粘合生物废物填料并生成均质的混合生物基-生物废物生长介质。使用实验设计 (DoE) 和基于建模的方法来优化这些介质，通过开发具有优化嵌入营养成分的作物和系统特定的“生长介质配方”来提高作物产量。材料表征和初始作物生长试验在英国大学完成谢菲尔德和我们的工业合作伙伴智能生长解决方案 (IGS) 将利用其最先进的垂直农场技术进行工业试验。利用生长介质的有针对性的生物降解、堆肥和机械回收来探索报废途径经过该项目有潜力通过新型 bPUP 的合成和表征，以及为 PACE 园艺开发作物和系统特定的“媒体配方”，从而产生重大的科学进步。这项研究产生的商业化机会也可能带来经济发展。此外，该项目还可以帮助在英国建立一个不断发展的媒体开发和特征描述的专业领域，解决目前该领域缺乏代表性的问题。