Room: Poster Area
Date: Friday, 22 May 2026
Time: 11:30 - 12:45 CEST
Session code 1DV.4
Sustainable integrated agricultural management practices - Prospects of a sustainable production of biomass
Evaluation Of Environmental Performance Of Reed Canary Grass As A Peat-Replacement For Equine Bedding with Integrated Manure Hygienization
Short Introductive summary
Bedding plays a vital role in livestock welfare by influencing comfort, health, and productivity. Traditionally, peat has been the preferred bedding material due to its absorbency, cushioning, and affordability, but its use is declining because of environmental and climate concerns, prompting the search for sustainable alternatives. Reed canary grass (RCG) has emerged as a promising substitute thanks to its fast growth, high yield, adaptability, and strong absorbent and insulating properties that support animal welfare and hygiene. It performs especially well in peat-rich soils and can be cultivated on former peat extraction sites, offering a productive use for otherwise idle land. Moreover, RCG cultivation has the potential to contribute to climate mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and functioning as a carbon sink when integrated into sustainable peatland management practices. In this research, aim is to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from RCG cultivation to transportation, use as a bedding, composting or biogas production and replacement digestate fertilizer to synthetic fertilizer. The results will be compared then compared to baseline scenario: peat.
Presenter
Jarno FÖHR
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Energy Technology Dpt., FINLAND
Presenter's biography
Jarno Föhr is a post-doctoral researcher in the Laboratory of bioenergy at LUT University in Finland. His current goal is to produce information on sustainable forestry and the multiple uses of forests. He is particularly interested in sorting out the preferences of forest owners.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
J. Föhr, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Mikkeli, FINLAND
T. Ranta, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Mikkeli, FINLAND
Session reference: 1DV.4.13