Award details

Functional peat replacement made from composted food processing waste

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042161
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Keith Waldron
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	8,563
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/09/2005
End date	31/03/2006
Duration	7 months

Abstract

Ongoing UK-funded research has highlighted relationships between growing-media qualities of peat and the physicochemistry of its partially-degraded, cell-wall polymers. Plant-derived food processing wastes provide abundant sources of plant cell walls. However, these are uncontrollably and usually fully degraded during composting giving a low-quality product. The aim of this project is assess the feasibility of (a) building a full-scale, continuous, enclosed composting processing facility; (b) to then carry out applied research which will provide parameters to underpin a mechanistic model of the degradative composting process. The model will then be used to optimise conversion of selected food-processing waste streams into a high-quality peat alternative. This necessitates termination of the composting process so that functional elements of plant structure which can emulate those in peat are retained. The project will help the food processing industry to avoid landfill, and will address pressures for horticultural Growers to find peat alternatives.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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