Partnership Between Villatoode OÜ and the Estonian University of Life Sciences: Exploring New Uses for Sheep Wool
In recent years, Villatoode OÜ and the Estonian University of Life Sciences have been working closely to discover new and exciting ways to utilize sheep wool—a natural resource abundant in our region. Our focus has been primarily on wool that isn't suitable for handicrafts but holds significant potential in other areas.maa.garden
What Have We Done?
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Testing Garden Felts and Prototypes: We've developed and tested various garden felts and similar products both in the lab and in real-world conditions to understand their durability and decomposition.
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Wool Pretreatment Methods: We've explored different methods of processing wool to expand its range of applications.
What Have We Discovered?
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Sheep Wool in Growing Substrates: When mixed into growing substrates, sheep wool acts as both a fertilizer and a moisture retainer. We've observed improvements in soil properties and support for soil life, invigorating microbial activity.
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Long-Term Effects: Field tests revealed that the positive impact of sheep wool fertilizer pellets persists into the second year after initial application.
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Pest Control Potential: We've noticed that sheep wool may help deter certain pests in cruciferous crops. Research in this area is ongoing.
What Should Be Considered?
When using unwashed sheep wool in growing substrates, it's important to ensure that the amount of wool doesn't exceed the plants' ability to absorb nutrients.
New Directions: Composite Materials
In collaboration with the university, we're also exploring the suitability of sheep wool in creating composite materials.The goal is to find alternative and more natural materials that can be used in plastic-free plant cultivation.