ARU Writtle and ICL’s new trials partnership

A new sustainable growing media trials partnership, between ICL and ARU Writtle, part of Anglia Ruskin University, is helping train tomorrow’s horticultural professionals, while driving forward knowledge on how to get the very best from peat-reduced and peat-free mixes.

With this new partnership, the university is benefiting from complementary ICL products, including peat-reduced Levington Advance and peat-free Levington Advance Sustain growing media mixes, for use in student trials. In return, ICL is gaining results from commercial level trials carried out by students from ARU Writtle’s BSc and MSc Horticulture courses.

Dr Anya Perera, deputy head of ARU Writtle’s School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences says: “We welcome this new partnership which is helping to consolidate industry-led learning, for the benefit of our students, with research trials that will support growers’ future needs.”

ICL technical manager for controls, Sam Rivers, previously studied at ARU Writtle and lives nearby. “This new arrangement is helping ICL expand its sustainable growing media trials programme,” he says. “We already carry out extensive in-house peat-free trials to improve our understanding of how our sustainable mixes perform, and how best to manage them. This year’s featured our groundbreaking new ‘fine’ and ‘super fine’ Fibagro Advance woodfibre grades; as well as the technologies – the fertilisers, biologicals and wetting agents – that help us manage peat-free ornamental crops better.”

“Expanding this programme, the horticultural students are conducting trials assessing the performance of our Vitalnova biostimulant range. They are exploring the contributions Vitalnova Prime and Vitalnova Guardian can make to various ornamental crops grown peat-free; and the potential role of Vitalnova TriBoost in peat-free propagation – one of the last frontiers for peat-free growing.

“The results from all these trials are helping ICL’s skilled technical team manage unique situations from nursery to nursery. To work with growers to offer practical advice that is scientifically, as well as trials, based.”