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

大多数无土容器根基质保持养分的能力有限。沸石是一种矿物 相当大的阳离子交换容量，可预充NPK并用作无土的成分 基质作为缓释营养源。J.C.Guilmain Inc.公司专门从事 沸石矿的商业化主要针对农业和环境应用。该产品， 生物炭是一种热解产品，它构成了一种储存和反应设施，可持续增加 植物生产力和土壤健康。之前的NSERC-Engage促进了开发(NPK) 预装生物炭和沸石作为改良的无土盆栽基质可提高甜菜产量 罗勒。反复试验清楚地表明，在特定浓度的预充电生物炭和 沸石和泥炭基底物的混合对质量有积极和显著的影响(P&lt；0.0001 与仅生长在泥炭基质中的罗勒植物相比，罗勒植物的生长和发育。 在之前结果的基础上，J.C.Guilmain公司与S.Jabaji教授合作，将 目的证明(I)在富含营养的生物炭和沸石基质配方中生长的罗勒具有 与生长在泥炭基质中的植物相比，宏量和微量元素的含量相似 单独使用，以及(Ii)罗勒在预充电基材配方中的性能同样良好 AgroMix G6的成分(即，在不含蛭石和/或珍珠岩的情况下)。持续的协作 麦吉尔和J.C.Guilmain Inc.在接下来的6个月内根据Engage-plus赠款提供了独特的 该公司有机会开发一种负担得起、环境可接受的无土基质，作为 盆栽混合物将减少和/或取代不可再生的泥炭基盆栽混合物，并形成 研究团队与行业合作伙伴通过新产品进行长期合作 发展。

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.