The selection and management of peat resources and peat alternatives for the production of quality growing media

摘要

Substrates used in modern commercial Horticulture are becoming increasingly specialised and more demanding of the raw materials used in their manufacture.Features such as :Granulation,Pore space,Water Capacity,Weed Risk etc are critical to the success of high performance growing media.Many alternatives to peat have been evaluated and incorporated into growing media in recent years,but for many commercial growers,peat remains the raw material of choice.However,in the hobby gardening sector,the increased use of peat substitutes is being driven by market forces,and producers have to balance the commercial and performance benefits of the alternatives available.The characteristics of these alternatives have an impact on the types of peat which can be economically used in the manufacture of hobby growing media,and this now has to be taken into account during peatland surveys.Practical methodologies have been developed to derive maximum commercial and technical benefits from the diverse and extensive Peatland resource available to Bord na Mona.