Micropropagation Services have developed a range of products to support the largescale re-introduction of Sphagnum Mosses in degraded bogs and peatlands. The family of products is called BeadaMoss®. This work has been on-going for the last 15 years, initially working closely with Moors For The Future Partnership who are a body supported by land owners, The National Trust, utility companies, Local Authorities and Government. They are working to restore swathes of the Derbyshire Peak District to fully functioning peat forming blanket bog. Initially Micropropagation Services supplied Moors For The Future Partnership with a range of Micropagated Moorland plants. They were then approached to find a scalable method to produce and re-introduce Sphagnum into open moor. This presented a significant challenge. Firstly, sphagnum is an unusual plant, it has no roots and irregular and unpredictable sporeing patterns. When spores are released, they are also too small to collect. For this reason, the successful propagation and production of Sphagnum had always failed. With no method for producing Sphagnum moss, the historical alternative has been to ‘harvest’ Spahgnum from intact bogs. The result of this has been the extensive destruction and damage to bogs and wetland habitats that have been plundered for the purpose of translocating their living Sphagnum Moss. This practice is not sustainable, and in the case of the Peat District and many other wetland locations is not an option, as there is no living Sphagnum left to harvest. It was all killed off by Sulphur Dioxide released in the industrial revolution, over grazing, burning to maintain grouse shooting conditions or wild fires.
Micropropagation Services realised that if a cost effective, scalable method for the production of Sphagnum Moss could be realised, then this would solve the on-going issue for peatland restoration programmes in sourcing a sustainable and limitless source of Sphagnum. Dr Neal Wright pioneered a sterile method of producing Sphagnum from tiny donor samples via Micropropagation (plant tissue culture). This ensures that genetically pure species are maintained with no damage to natural peatland habitats. Having achieved this, he then looked for methods to “seed” reintroduce that sphagnum to the wild. The first of these methods was BeadaMoss® whereby tiny plantlets of Sphagnum are encased in a protective media gel bead. (hence the name BeadaMoss®) These small beads of moss are then easily broadcast from the air, or by hand into the degraded bogs. Following this innovative and successful breakthrough, other distribution methods have been developed including BeadaGel™ and BeadaHumok™. These have found their own niches and the restoration market for BeadaMoss® products in the UK is slowly growing as increased success is realised by the techniques and products of BeadaMoss®.
The Opportunity:
With a potential basis for large-scale production of Sphagnum Moss defined, Micropropagation Services are looking to develop and exploit new markets with the supply of Sphagnum Moss using their developmental MataMoss and FastStart techniques.
With large scale sustainable production of Sphagnum now possible, three potential market areas for BeadaMoss® sphagnum exist:
a) For the expanding restoration market
b) To displace markets where Sphagnum is used a commodity (all currently harvested from the wild) and to supply new markets, that will exist as a result of sustainable commercial Sphagnum supply being achieved.
c) Carbon Capture / Carbon Banking – Carbon mitigation to prevent climate change.
During Autumn and Winter 2017/18, Micropropagation Services undertook a market appraisal study, market validation and benchmarking work, to support the formulation of a business plan to fully exploit the opportunity afforded by the Innovation of BeadaMoss® and the potential of Matamoss techniques. This report contains the results of that work.
