Sustainable substrates for plants, trees and shrubs enabled with BioFoam®

BioFoam® is a polylactic acid based particle foam developed by Synbra Technology. It is an alternative to current foam materials, but bio-based and compostable. BioFoam® is already used in packaging applications and in construction, but now also horticultural applications are considered. To study possible horticultural applications various experiments have been conducted. Water retention curves of BioFoam® mixtures with potting soil have been determined. Various types of BioFoam® have been used for this. It was found that the water retention of the foam is not as good as e.g., peat, but it can be improved by modifying. In a large greenhouse BioFoam® has been compared with Styromüll for insulation purposes and to improve light reflection during Chrysanthemums growth. Best growing results have been obtained when BioFoam® was used and besides it has better end of life options. A cultivation test in a hydro culture pot system with blackberry plants on BioFoam® and standard substrates showed that plant growth was comparable. Based on the above it is concluded that BioFoam® offers an alternative in various horticultural applications as (partial) replacement for existing substrates like peat or coconut.