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

大多数无土容器根基质保留养分的能力有限。沸石是一种矿物， 大量的阳离子交换能力，可以预充氮磷钾，并用作无土土壤的组成部分 基质作为缓释营养源。公司JC吉尔曼公司专业 沸石矿石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物，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。以前的NSERC-ENGAGE促进了开发（NPK） 预充电的生物炭和沸石作为改进的无土盆栽基质， 巴兹尔.重复的试验清楚地表明，在特定浓度的预充电生物炭和 沸石与泥炭基基质混合对质量有积极和显著的影响（P<0.0001） 以及与仅在基于泥炭的基质中生长的罗勒植物相比罗勒植物的发育。 基于之前的结果，J.C.吉尔曼公司与S教授合作。贾巴吉，威尔 目的是证明（i）在营养物填充的生物炭和沸石基质制剂中生长的罗勒 与在泥炭基质中生长的植物相比，宏量和微量元素的含量相似 和（ii）罗勒将在与改性的基质混合的预充电基质制剂中同样良好地表现。 Agromix G6组分（即，不存在蛭石和/或蛭石）。继续协作 麦吉尔和JC之间的联系吉尔曼公司在未来6个月内，在ENGAGE-PLUS赠款下， 公司有机会开发一种负担得起的和环境可接受的无土基质， 将减少和/或替代不可再生的泥炭基盆栽混合物，并形成基础， 研究团队和工业合作伙伴通过新产品的长期合作 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.