New paludiculture project seeks to maximise wetland crop yields

ADAS is delighted to announce a new paludiculture research project with textile company Saltyco to maximise yields of the wetland crop typha. The project, funded under Defra’s new Nature for Climate Paludiculture Exploration Fund, is part of a wider effort to encourage commercially viable options for farming on rewetted lowland peatlands.

Typha, commonly known as cattails or bulrushes, has fantastic potential as a lightweight, bio-degradable, warm yet water-resistant textile. Saltyco uses its fibre to create a sustainable plant-based alternative to polyester.

To increase yields of typha, Saltyco wish to understand the conditions that cause the plant to flower and produce fibrous seed heads. ADAS horticultural experts will study seed head development and determine what factors favour production. We will conduct a literature review to come up with ideas, and test our hypotheses through wild typha monitoring and mesocosm trials.

From the data collected from trials, we will create practical best-practice guidance for farmers of the crop to maximise production.

Peat soils contain over half the UK’s terrestrial carbon stores. Centuries of drainage for conventional agriculture has dried out most of our lowland peatlands, resulting in carbon loss. Efforts have begun to restore suitable peat soils through rewetting. Defra have announced new investments to support their continued preservation and sustainable management.