Peat, plastic and fertiliser in organic growing across Europe - current use and future options

Summary

The use of cntentious inputs in organic growing was mapped across Europe in the H2020 Project "Organic-PLUS" (GA 774340) during 2018. This paper presents results on peat, plastic and animal-derived fertilisers in horticultural growing. Broadly, the use of peat and plastic is similar to non-organic production. Many organic growers use transplants, and the growing media usually contain peat. For plastic, the use is widespread for mulching and frost protection. Plastic is also used as tree guards and attaching clips. As a fertilisation input, dried poultry manure is used in all countries. Many more commerical fertilisers are in use. They are often made from animal hide or vinasse. The application of such products varies widely between countries. The project aims to develop alternatives to these contentious inputs, which will be presented.