About
After centuries of peatland destruction and neglect, CINDERELLA aims at the progress of paludiculture (agriculture on wet or rewetted peatlands) through field and lab investigations, desk studies and activities for dissemination and awareness. It will rely on comparative analysis, integration and exemplary implementation of climate smart land use practices on organic soils (peatlands).
The objectives of CINDERELLA are to:
- Extend the scientific base for a sustainable use of wetlands and to make alternative uses accessible to farmers and land authorities, in summary to advance wet agriculture (paludiculture) on peatlands by an integrated scientific approach.
- Do field investigations for establishing and optimising biomass production in paludiculture.
- Find ways for minimising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient release from organic soils.
- Incorporate ecosystem services
- Develop management strategies, transfer them from the lab to the field, and disseminate the innovative concept of paludiculture over Europe.
Results
- Framework conditions for improving land use and area potential for climate smart agriculture on organic soils in participating countries in Europe and recommendations for optimising the cultivation of wet peatlands (paludiculture).
- Assessment of the nutrient retention by paludiculture.
- Description of the genetics of the clones of Phragmites australis as well as Typha latifolia, Typha angustifolia and Arundo donax, correlated with information on productivity and preferred site conditions. Study of the factors controlling primary productivities.
- Analysis of the management and productivity of paludiculture, assessment of the biomass utilisation as fodder, generation of material or fuel for energy production.
- Cultivation of Reed and Cattail on wet peatlands should be recognised as an agricultural use of the land and direct payments (Common Agricultural Policy - CAP) should be available.