Disciplinary publications from 2025
Lettuce talk about sustainable horticulture!
The escalating issue of horticultural waste disposal presents a significant environmental and resource management challenge. In particular, tomato plant residues, a byproduct of greenhouse tomato production, represent a substantial source of untapped nutrients and organic matter. Traditional disposal methods contribute to waste accumulation and environmental burden, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives. The Biosystems Engineering Group (Uwe Schmidt) and the Urban Plant Ecophysiology Group (Christian Ulrichs) investigated the potential of composting tomato plant residues as a viable fertilizer and soil amendment for lettuce cultivation. Harnessing the natural decomposition process to transform waste into a nutrient-rich substrate could allow closing nutrient cycles and reducing reliance on conventional fertilizers. Check out their Scientia Horticulturae Article!