Pre-charged biochar and zeolite as slow-release fertilizer carriers in soilless substrates

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Most soilless container root substrates have limited ability to retain nutrients. Zeolites are minerals of substantial cation exchange capacity that can be pre-charged with NPK and used as a component of soilless substrate as a slow-release nutrient source. The company J.C. Guilmain Inc. specializes in the commercialization of Zeolite ore mainly targeting agricultural and environmental applications. The product, biochar is a pyrolyzed product that constitutes a storage and reaction facility leading to a sustainable increase of plant productivity and soil health. The previous NSERC-ENGAGE facilitated the development (NPK) pre-charged biochar and zeolite as an improved soilless potting substrate leading to higher production of sweet basil. Repeated trials clearly demonstrated that at specific concentrations of both pre-charged biochar and Zeolite and mixed with a peat-based substrate had a positive and significant (P<0.0001) effect on the quality and development of basil plants as compared to that of basil plants grown in peat-based substrate only. Building on the previous results, the company J.C. Guilmain Inc. with collaboration of Professor S. Jabaji, will aim to demonstrate that (i) basil grown in nutrient-charged biochar and zeolite substrate formulation have similar contents of macro- and micro elements compared to those of plants grown in peat-based substrate alone, and (ii) basil will perform equally well in the pre-charged substrate formulation mixed with modified components of Agromix G6 (ie, in the absence of vermiculite and/or perlite). The continued collaboration between McGill and J.C. Guilmain Inc. in the next 6 months under the ENGAGE-PLUS grant offers a unique opportunity to the company to develop an affordable and environmentally acceptable soilless substrate as potting mix that would reduce and/or replace the non-renewable peat-based potting mix and form a basis for long-term collaboration between the research team and the industrial partners through new product development.