- ForestFactory® uses innovative farming technologies to increase the effectiveness, survival rate and speed of reforestation projects and will see 600,000 trees planted at Blenheim Estate
- The initial trial phase found saplings grown in ForestFactory® grow 4x faster than nursery grown equivalents and are sturdier with a wider diameter at desired planting height
- Trials also show saplings grown and planted in biochar grow taller and thicker, both indications of tree sturdiness and survivability
British climate tech firm A Healthier Earth has announced the successful completion of the first phase and trials of its ForestFactory® project with Blenheim Estate, launched earlier this year. Initial results have shown the concept to improve the speed of growth, and the survivability- and resilience-related characteristics of saplings, helping tackle the climate change-related challenges the forestry industry faces.
For the last three years, A Healthier Earth has been working on research and development trials to experiment with the ForestFactory® concept using a small scale R&D facility inside Blenheim Palace’s Walled Garden. The space has been used to test environmental factors such as light and nutrient conditions in a controlled environment to grow more resilient trees in a shorter timeframe.
The trials compared saplings grown in a nursery with those grown in ForestFactory®, where they are grown in a vertical farm and controlled environment to mimic seasons and changes in climate. Results found saplings grown in ForestFactory® grow four times faster than nursery-grown equivalents* and were up to 50% thicker in stem diameter when grown to the desired planting height, indicating sturdiness and better survivability. The trials also looked at the impact of biochar on the saplings, comparing the height and stem diameter of saplings planted and grown in soil with and without biochar. It found some species of saplings grown with biochar exhibited significantly better growth in height and stem diameter compared to those without.
The next phase of planting, following the success of the initial trials, will see the planting of 2,000 more saplings across the estate in November, which will include species native to the area, such as oak, hornbeam and wild cherry, and others including sycamore and Norway maple.
ForestFactory® blends the latest in agricultural technology with sustainable forestry practices to address the many obstacles hindering reforestation efforts, including a shortage of seeds and viable tree stock, changing climate conditions, and low seedling survival rates. The project also aims to restore biodiversity and help sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
The initiative includes the following key elements:
- Micropropagation: By using native material from ancient woodlands the project produces genetically relevant plant stock, reducing the need for traditional seed-based growth.
- Autonomous vertical farming systems: Local saplings are grown in controlled, vertical farming systems, which use smart software to monitor and optimise plant health, increasing growth rates and overall plant survivability.
- Biochar: The addition of circular biochar to the soil before or during tree planting enhances water retention and fertility, while also sequestering carbon in the soil for up to 500 years.
Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth, commented:
“The world urgently needs solutions to solve the issues we face in protecting and rebuilding our forests, and the first round of test results provide a positive early sign that ForestFactory® will be one of those solutions. With our geo-specific, multidisciplinary approach, our leading team of researchers and scientists are now embarking on the next trial phase which, with a sample that is double in size, will give us as even clearer picture of the steps we need to take to turning this into a solution that can be scaled, applied more broadly, and, ultimately, play a direct role in addressing some of the major issues in the forestry industry and fighting the effects of climate change.
“Working with institutions like the Blenheim Estate, which is at the forefront of forestry and land management innovation, and other partners, has been crucial in building ForestFactory® to the stage it is at now. We can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together in the future.”
Roy Cox, Managing Director of Blenheim Estate, added:
“The results from the trial phase give us great confidence as we scale up our reforestation efforts as part of the Blenheim Estate’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2027.They are also a major first step in realising our ambition, through our partnership with A Healthier Earth, to provide a blueprint for others to follow.
“As the project advances, we will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the ForestFactory® approach in both meeting our climate targets at the Blenheim Group, and with the long-term goal of developing this blueprint for sustainable reforestation efforts across the UK, which will be vital in mitigating climate change and restoring biodiversity across the country.”
Initial Trial Phase Results
Sapling production in vertical farm
A Healthier Earth has developed an in-house recipe designed specifically to grow saplings at speed without compromising on quality. The saplings are grown in a vertical farm from Vertical Future, a global vertical farming technology and data company, where the environment can be controlled to produce more climate resilient trees. During the course of this initial phase, it found that ForestFactory® saplings grew four times faster than nursery-grown equivalents (80 days instead of ~1 year), which was achieved in six broad leaf species.
The trials also looked at the sturdiness of the saplings. Sturdiness is related to the diameter of the stem at its base in a young sapling, and thicker stems are typically a positive indication that the plant will grow into a large, healthy tree, research suggests. The sturdiness of a sapling is found by dividing its height by its diameter.
When looking at sturdiness, ForestFactory® saplings had stems that were between 25% and 50% thicker in diameter than saplings of the same height generally provided to foresters, depending on species of tree.
Biochar use
The ForestFactory® trials also looked at the impact of using biochar in soil when planting the saplings, by measuring their growth in terms of height and stem diameter. During the first trial, 250 saplings of each of four species—oak, wild cherry, sycamore, and Norway maple—were planted across four different sites on the Estate, differing in soil type and herbivory defence. Of each species, 125 saplings were planted with biochar and 125 without. Over the initial six-month period, saplings grown with biochar exhibited significantly better growth compared to those without when combining the results from all four sites:
- Cherry and Norway maple grew significantly taller
- Sycamore saplings developed thicker stems.
The data from this trial suggests that the presence of biochar can significantly boost the growth and sturdiness of saplings overall, even in the early stages of planting. However this needs to be examined over the longer term for full verification of impact.
Second trial phase and scaling up
Following the success of the initial trial, the ForestFactory® project is now entering its second phase of testing. In this stage, 1,000 saplings from four species—oak, hornbeam, sycamore, and maple—will be provided by global vertical farming technology and data company Vertical Future. These saplings will be planted in two groups: one with biochar and one without. Additionally, another 1,000 saplings, purchased from generic stock, will undergo the same planting process. The goal of this experiment is to compare the survival rates of saplings that were grown in a vertical farm and planted with biochar against those that were not.
Blenheim Estate and A Healthier Earth will apply the findings from the trial as they look to expand their efforts, with plans to plant 600,000 trees over the next three years. The project will focus on species native to the Estate, using a combination of locally grown saplings and those cultivated through ForestFactory®‘s high-tech farming processes.
In partnership with vertical farming specialists, Vertical Future, the project aims to establish a large-scale facility capable of producing up to one million saplings per year once fully operational.
The project is funded by Blenheim Estate, with A Healthier Earth operating and delivering the project with partners including Vertical Future, a global vertical farming technology and data company.
To find out more about ForestFactory, visit https://ahealthierearth.com/forestfactory/