Opportunity for fen and broadland farmers to diversify with paludiculture

The potential for paludiculture – production of profitable crops on rewetted peat – is to be discussed by NIAB and the Broads Authority in the Agri-TechE Innovation Hub at the Royal Norfolk Show. Director of Agri-TechE Dr Belinda Clarke says: “We need more data and evidence to underpin land management decisions on these valuable and fragile soils to provide solutions that work for stakeholders, so that no-one is disproportionately impacted by future decisions.”

Novel soil management systems for horticulture

Despite the long history of Norfolk reed, over 97% of the reed used for thatching in the UK is imported due to the loss of wetlands and a decline in reed harvesting. Reeds and other fibrous plants can also be used to make a range of other sustainable construction materials with multiple benefits – a thatched roof is a long term carbon store.

Andrea Kelly is the Environment Policy Adviser for the Broads Authority, where she focuses on developing ecological and land management strategy for the Broads National Park, including supporting the development of the Environment Land Management scheme.

Andrea explains the context: “The Lowland Agricultural Peatland Task Force report, to be launched soon, sets out to unlock opportunities for all those farming on lowland peat to do so in a more sustainable way.”

She cites one project at Wrights Farm in Lancashire which is trialling growing a commercial celery crop on re-wetted peat. It is estimated that for every 10cm increase in the water table, there is a corresponding reduction in emissions of 3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per hectare.

“The science suggests that even a small change in water level management can significantly slow the loss-rate of peat soil, and so, in some landscapes, we want to make it possible to raise water levels above where they are penned currently to farm in a more climate-resilient way,” she says.

Novel farming systems are also being trialled in Norfolk. Anthony Gardiner of G’s Fresh comments: “G’s’ Norfolk farms have some of the deepest and most productive peat as this was some of the last to be drained after the Second World War. This land is unique as it is sub irrigated, using a system of dykes and pipes under the field to manipulate the water table. Evidently this is not appropriate for all soils, so we are actively engaged in discussions about peat soil management and investigations about water table management to reduce carbon emissions, while also gaining a better understanding of the implications for food production.”

Diversification on marginal land

On marginal land that is currently not suitable for horticulture, there is an opportunity to transition to paludiculture, Andrea says. She continues: “The Horsey Estate in Norfolk, as a contrast, is growing wetland crops on marginal land and aiming to use these for filtering and cleaning water as well as for construction materials.”

Water Works is a two-year project piloting paludiculture with field scale trials in Great Fen. It has identified a number of crops with potential market appeal (see table). These are just a few of a growing range of opportunities for wetland crops across the region, if drainage rates were slowed to reduce peat loss.

Crop	Description	Usage	Potential markets
Floating Sweet Grass (Glyceria fluitans)	Sweet nutritious grain for human consumption. Has been harvested from the wild in the past and is a food source in Poland.	Grain can be rolled as porridge-style oats, used as a seed for baking and flour used for dumplings, flatbreads and sweet cakes.	As highly nutritious gluten-free alternative to flour. Binding agent.
Common Reed (Phragmites australis)	Grown for thatch, but many other potential markets. Reed and sedge cutting is only established and widely practiced form of paludiculture in the UK, with 17 active cutters employed on the Broads. However, only 3% of demand is produced in the UK.	Reed can be compressed into a fibreboard that is light, fireproof, breathable and resistant to rot when waterlogged. Bioenergy source as pellets.	High value industrial chemicals. Reed silica can be used for manufacture of anodes in lithium-ion batteries and for strengthening concrete. UK currently imports 25% of its bioenergy feedstocks
Sphagnum moss	Currently used for reptile habitats and floristry – valued at £200 – £500 per m3.	Very absorbent and antimicrobial – used as field wound dressing and potential for use in sanitary pads and nappies.	Can be a peat alternative. Currently 2.5million m3 of peat used by horticulture.
Reedmace (Typha latifolia)	Typha plants remove nutrients from water. They can act as a sink for 30 -60kg of Phosphorus per hectare per year.	Markets are establishing in Germany and the Netherlands for Typha as a raw product for construction and insulation materials. Seed heads can be used for clothing, such as sustainable jacket fill.	Typha’s high calorific value means it has bioenergy applications, both direct combustion or for conversion into another fuel product.
Wild herbs –	ancient varieties have medicinal benefits
Water mint	Historically as repellent for flies, mice and rats and a strewing herb.	Antiseptic, flavouring and herbal tea.	Retail price for dried mint leaves is £26.20/Kg.
Water Cress	Leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals and its main use is as a garnish and addition to salads.		The wholesale price for watercress in the UK was £9.96/Kg in August 2019.
Meadow Sweet	One of the three most sacred herbs of the Druids.	Used as botanical for gin. Produced as an essential oil used in perfumery and as a tincture.	£11.99/100ml oil and £5.49/50g dried or powdered.

Keeping the water level high has other benefits

The Broadland Futures Initiative is also working with local people to agree a framework for future flood risk management. Avoiding the high land subsidence levels of around 1-2cm each year that occur when peatlands are drained may directly help farmers and land managers. The lower the land gets through subsidence the harder the water pumps need to work to manage the flood and drainage waters, which is becoming more expensive with the rising cost of electricity.

Andrea comments that the multiple benefits gained from raising the water table constitutes a public good and suggests that funding should be made available to farmers exploring this option.

More information

Within the Nature for Climate Fund, Natural England is delivering the Paludiculture Exploration Fund (PEF) for England. A range of PEF projects around England will focus on tackling the barriers to developing commercially viable paludiculture on lowland peat soils in England over the next two years. Visit the Paludiculture Community at paludiculture.org.uk to find out more.

The Broads Authority is managing wet farming and wetland restoration projects and engaging with farmers about landscape adaptation in the UK’s largest protected wetland.

The Paludiculture Exploration Fund will soon announce the successful projects to be developing elements of paludiculture in England.

Water Works Project https://www.greatfen.org.uk/big-ideas/wet-farming

Fenland Soils Project https://www.fenlandsoil.org/

Paludiculture trial at Horsey Estate – Reed, Interreg VB North Sea Region Programme: https://northsearegion.eu/canape/paludiculture/reed/

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