Funded by Natural England through the 2023 Paludiculture Exploration Fund, and in partnership with the RSPB, Taking Typha to Scale aims to establish the commercial viability of growing Typha latifolia (bulrush) on pockets of land across the Somerset Levels and Moors. The current project is focused on three separate sites around Greylake, ranging from 150m2 to 10 ha in size.
Suited to low-lying areas that may not suit conventional crops, paludiculture is defined as farming on higher water tables. It can allow the continuation of productive cropping while raising water tables to reduce carbon emissions from low-lying peatland soils, and stripping legacy phosphate from soil.
The aim of the project is to carry out research and field-scale trials focusing on growing commercial crops of Typha latifolia (common bulrush).
Areas of research and activity we will be focusing on:
- Trialling low impact establishment & harvesting methods (from rhizome & seed)
- Designing and creating prototype machinery, including a customised low-impact harvesting machine
- Establishing crop husbandry needs at field scale
- Quantifying the ecological impacts of typha growing
- Measuring legacy phosphate reduction
- Knowledge sharing with farmers
Progress so far:
- First successful harvest at field scale
- Customised LogLogic typha harvesting machine developed
A further year of funding has been established to provide longer term research. This will run from April 2025 to March 2026, and allow for continued crop research by allowing for a second year of crop husbandry and harvesting, as well as continued development into the post-harvesting processing of the crop.
Carbon emissions from peatland and legacy phosphate pollution are two key threats facing the Somerset Levels. Paludiculture provides an opportunity to explore novel solutions that also provide a beneficial crop.
Locally, there is a growing market for typha, which among other end products can be used for insulation in sustainable textiles. For more information, visit: https://www.ponda.bio/
The project’s first typha crop grown commercially on the Somerset Levels and Moors
Project lead/contact is Will Barnard, Moors Association Coordinator – email: will.barnard@fwagsw.org.uk
Partners with RSPB
