BioSubstrate360: Development of peat-free growing media from local and circular biomass
Project period: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2029
Funded by the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP)
The project develops a scientifically documented and commercially scalable solution that will accelerate the green transition of horticultural production in Denmark.
BioSubstrate360 addresses a key sustainability challenge for the professional horticulture sector, where the use of peat leads to large greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of raised bogs.
The combination of upcoming EU restrictions and an expected fourfold increase in global demand for growing media towards 2050 makes the project crucial for maintaining and strengthening the Danish horticultural sector’s turnover of DKK 4.8 billion and its 5,400 jobs.
Building on previous GUDP projects
The aim of BioSubstrate360 is to develop and validate peat-free substrate recipes based on local biomass, with wood fibres, digested biofibres, matured bark and compost as the main components. By 2029, the project will deliver optimised cultivation protocols and, through full-scale demonstrations, document performance on a par with conventional peat-based substrates.
Graff Growing is a new partner in BioSubstrate360 and is particularly specialised in growing hibiscus plants.
The project is the third in a series building on the GUDP projects BioSubstrate (2019–2021), which worked with individual substrate components, and BioSubstrate 2.0 (2022–2025), which developed and demonstrated bio-based growing substrates with 50% rapidly renewable biomass.
The goal is now to develop 100% peat-free growing media.
The project activities comprise four phases
- Fine-tuning of substrate components and mixes
- Identification of key mechanisms for water and nutrient management in controlled trials
- Mesocosm demonstrations documenting emissions and crop performance for basil, strawberries and ornamentals
- Validation through demonstrations at commercial scale at Danish nurseries
The mesocosm facility is used to document greenhouse gas emissions.
The societal benefits of replacing peat with rapidly renewable biomass are a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a strengthened circular bioeconomy and safeguarding the sector’s future competitiveness.
Project partners
- Danish Technological Institute (project lead)
- Aarhus University, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering
- Aarhus University, Department of Food Science
- HortiAdvice
- Pindstrup Mosebrug
- Ny Vraa
- Advanced Substrate Technology
- Økologihaven
- Hunsballe Grønt
- Knud Jepsen (Queen)
- Graff Growing