DEMO-SITE D
United Kingdom
Great Fen (UK)
Main crop
Typha
Other crops
Wet grassland, Reed, Sphagnum
Responsible Partner
Key information
Challenges
The Great Fen (3,700 ha) is a vast area of drained peat now used for agriculture. There is nothing at scale to demonstrate to UK farmers and other land users the viability of developing whole paludiculture farming models. They need to know which paludiculture crops are best suited for areas of varying topography, peat depth and water availability, together with identifying and understanding how these crops go from field to market through various product channels.
Solutions
Demonstrate practical and financial feasibility of integrating a mixture of paludiculture crops into drained peat landscapes, giving agriculture industry confidence that practices can be adopted within mosaics of varying land use, but demonstrating the value in larger scale joint conversion. Work with research and policy makers to encourage development of grants and financial mechanisms to underpin conversion.
Outcomes
Over next 5 years, establish more extensive areas of Typha (7ha) to produce seed heads for textile industry [SALT] and reed (12ha) for thatching industry, 100ha further wet grassland. A small-scale pilot trial on Sphagnum will be established to explore whether this is a viable crop for this area now and in the future. Establish BAU carbon and methane flux measurements and then track carbon flux through the process of establishing Typha and wet grassland crops. Trial low input Sphagnum establishment and viability. Develop harvesting protocols and financial models for construction materials, Typha for the textiles industry, reed and saw sedge for thatching industry, marketing opportunities for meat produced on protected peat soils and moss as a replacement for peat as a growing medium. Monitor and understand other potential ecosystem benefits of Paludiculture – e.g. flood water storage, improving water quality.
Replicability
Practices proven to work here would be replicable on most lowland peat habitats in the UK and Europe. East Anglia has low rainfall and many technical challenges to overcome – demonstrating how these are addressed makes comparable paludiculture more easily replicable elsewhere.
