Neukalen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
Project ended
Pilot site
A 10-hectare pilot in the Teterower Peene river valley is testing large-scale cultivation of cattail (Typha latifolia, T. angustifolia) on rewetted fen grassland. The site combines water-level control infrastructure, planted seedlings and seeding trials, and multi-year monitoring to evaluate biomass production, greenhouse-gas performance, water and nutrient balances, and biodiversity. The project demonstrates practical paludiculture establishment and management, feeding into guidance for farmers and policymakers.
Drained fen peatlands in Germany cause substantial agricultural GHG emissions alongside soil degradation and subsidence. The Teichweide polder’s fen peat in the Tetrower Peene river valley had been drained and managed as grassland for grazing and fodder. To conserve peat and maintain productive land use, the pilot raises water levels and grows wet-adapted cattail as a permanent crop, assessing technical feasibility, economics, and ecosystem services.
The pilot rewet a drained fen grassland by constructing bunds, a perimeter drainage control ditch, pumped inflow and adjustable outlets to maintain water within 40 cm above ground. Cattail was established via mechanical planting of 50,000 seedlings at two densities, supplemented by hand and drone seeding. Management includes seasonal irrigation (as needed), wildlife protection and dyke maintenance. The site is monitored over multiple years for biomass, climate, hydrology, nutrients and biodiversity, informing practical guidance and policy for paludiculture.
The intervention began with the conversion of a drained fen grassland parcel into a controlled wet cultivation area for paludiculture. Because the site was a “wet island in a drained environment”, substantial preparatory works were required before planting could begin. In August and September 2019, dykes or bunds were built to retain water on the site. A new ditch was excavated around the field to collect seepage water and reduce the risk of waterlogging adjacent grassland. An irrigation system consisting of a pump and inlet was installed so that water from the nearby Teterower Peene could be used for active water-level management. Two adjustable outlets were also installed to regulate site hydrology more precisely. After this preparation phase, a specialised aquatic plant nursery supplied 25,000 seedlings of Typha latifolia and 25,000 seedlings of Typha angustifolia. The seedlings were planted in mid-September 2019 using two tractor-drawn planting machines adapted from the forestry sector. Each species was planted at two densities, with layouts equivalent to 1 plant per m² and 0.5 plants per m². In June 2020, the project added a second establishment method by sowing pellets made of Typha seed and clay, both by hand and by drone, on a shallow flooded section of the site.
Ongoing management includes regulating water levels through active irrigation in spring and summer, protecting the crop from geese and wild boar, and mowing the dykes. The site is used to test cultivation methods, management regimes and harvesting approaches for cattail under wet peatland conditions. Monitoring has been built into the intervention from the outset and includes stand establishment, nutrient uptake, water balance, biomass quality and cost data. Under Paludi-PROGRESS, this monitoring was expanded to quantify carbon, water and nutrient balances as well as biodiversity, and to improve water management and lower-cost establishment through sowing. The site also supports mesocosm experiments on the effects of water levels on plant growth, biomass decomposition and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it is used as a comparative research and demonstration area, including work with the PRINCESS project and knowledge transfer through visits and events.
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