Phasing out contentious inputs in organic and non-organic horticulture - Organic-PLUS

Across Europe, there has been an ongoing discussion regarding inputs into organic agriculture and horticulture, which are considered more or less contentious. These discussions have contributed to the decision by the European Horizon-2020 research programme to invest 8 million Euros into two 4-year projects, starting in 2018. This paper provides research approaches from one of those successful projects from the call: Organic-PLUS. The focus is on research relevant to organic horticulture (and non-organic horticulture). This includes alternatives to the use of copper and mineral oils used for plant protection, with a special focus on potatoes, perennial Mediterranean crops like olives and citrus and greenhouse crops like tomatoes and aubergines. Further research is on better organic fertilisers such as non-animal derived fertilisers, which are compatible with 'Vegan Organic Standards', but also other 'bio-economy fertilisers', which make use of existing resources, like fishpond sediments and marine-derived fertilisers. Alternatives to peat as a growing media, an area where peat replacement is most challenging, i.e., in specialised nursery crops will also be researched and discussed. The increasing use of plastic mulch materials and potential impact of plastic and alternative mulch materials on soil pollutants will be evaluated. We will use the phase-out of peat as an example to discuss voluntary, industry-lead approaches compared to legislative ones, and discuss how this relates to the revised EU organic regulation adopted in June 2018.