Project No. 1
(Leading researcher: Doc. Mgr. Lukáš Trakal, Ph.D.)
The present proposal offers a multidisciplinary solution to today's highly inflected issues such as drought, sustainable agriculture, reduced soil nutrient depletion, but also reduced CO2 emissions to air. All the above issues are linked by a single denominator, which is climate change and its associated impacts. In this project, attention is paid to: (1) replacing the conventional (peat-based) substrate with a product obtained with biomass (composting); and in particular (2) the possibilities for efficient use of biomass with reduced CO2 emissions (biochar production) with a positive impact on water and nutrient retention in soil. Thus, the addition of such a stable organic matter can (on a larger geographical scale) help to reduce the negative impact of drought episodes in agriculture.
Thus, the main issue to be solved in this case will be the production of a substrate by biomass composting, but this treatment will be improved so that part of the biomass will be used for biochar production to obtain a substrate representing a stable form of organic matter with enhanced water and nutrient retention. Adding the ideal ratio of this component and at what stage of composting itself will be the subject of research. The target product should thus be a substrate production process that will be able to fully replace the commercially available substrate, both qualitatively (100% organic product with sufficient content of key nutrients) and financially (reducing irrigation and fertilizer costs due to increased water and nutrient retention capabilities).