Poland: New carbon substrate from organic raw material

Carbohort is a Polish producer of ecological substrates for soil and soil-free growing. It produces the substrates from 100% natural and organic raw material.

Carbohort substrate consists of selected cuts of soft brown coal. Brown coal consists of the organic substances (humin, fulvic, hymatomelanic acids, humins, bitumen, mineral charcoal, lignin, cellulose), water and mineral substances. Soft cuts of brown coal in the Carbohort substrate are used to improve the quality of soils, including light soils. Brown coal, as a rich source of humic substances (humic and humin acids and their salts), plays a key role in maintaining fertility of the soil and providing plants with mineral compounds. It ameliorates physical, physico-chemical and biological properties of the soils.

Humic substances regulate the concentration of soil solution through sorption and release of the elements into solution. They also effectively protect the soil environment and the ecosystem from the effects of heavy metals contamination. The activated coal from the substrate absorbs huge amounts of toxins from the environment and does not have any negative impact on plants. This has been confirmed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the project “BIO HOME”.

Brown coal is pathogen-free and does not contain harmful substances for the plants. It is porous and water-saving, as it absorbs water perfectly. Brown coal has a stabilized chemical composition. Simultaneously, each portion is slightly acidic or acidic and characterizes with low salinity. Brown coal substrate is used as a substrate for soil-free growing and does not require pre-vegetative fertilization with solid forms of mineral fertilizers.

Carbohort substrate is fully biodegradable and it can be recycled after cropping. The substrate remains suitable for growing or it can become an organic fertilizer which can be used on every farm, e.g. to grow flowering plants, or in plant nurseries, or even to improve the poor mineral condition of light soils. The substrate is suitable for growing in the deserts where we only have access to sand and water of a poor quality. Sand grains, mixed with the substrate, join humin acid and create the growing base. This base consists of the organic coal and analogically – of humus. The substrate created in this way has a water holding capacity. Thus, water can be effectively disposed of for watering.

Multiannual studies on the Carbohort substrate carried out in the Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice have showed that this substrate is suitable for soil-free, prolonged glass-house vegetables growing. Within the frames of the annual studies, high quality tomato crops were grown. They were of a much better quality than the ones grown on the inert substrates. The results of the study were confirmed in practice – by the implementation research both in the country and abroad. The research conducted in central France, in the experimental station LCA Domaine De Melleray 45560 Saint Denis En Valnad on the soil-free growing of cucumber have showed that Carbohort substrate is highly suitable for repeated cropping of cucumber. In 2018 cucumber was cropped for the 6 time on the same mats. Very interesting results were also obtained from the research in Morocco. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, seeds of argan trees and date palms were grown there on the Carbohort substrate. Seeds grew much better on this substrate and the substrate was more suitable for the production of argan in comparison to the existing technologies of growing this endemic plant. Also date palms, in comparison to the ones cropped on other substrates, developed much better on the brown coal substrate.

Carbohort substrate is a natural substrate, developed in harmony with nature. However, some of its properties are similar to the properties of the inert substrates. In the brown coal substrate, as in other substrates, there is neither biological sorption of azote nor alkalization of fertilizer solutions. While cropping, pH and EC changes in brown coal occur in a similar way as in the case of mineral wool. The manner of cropping on the Carbohort substrate does not differ from cropping on mineral wool or coir. Complying with the rules of the social responsibility of business, the producer takes responsibility for the used substrate.

For more information:

Carbohort
Nowe Tłoki 68A, 64-200 Wolsztyn, Poland
REGON 302830736
NIP 923 169 45 10
+48 502 356 984
+48 506 066 663
+48 505 627 766
office@carbohort.com