Seven Waves ambassador for Brickz
Tom Bade, director of Triple E – Natural Soil Improvement BV and Rob Wolters of Seven Waves have decided to work together to roll out the concept and product Brickz, an invention of Tom Bade, in the Netherlands and internationally.
Brickz are dried river sediment – enriched with mycorrhiza and combined with other additives such as humus or lime – that can be used as a sustainable soil conditioner in agriculture and forestry. Seeds, worm eggs and other forms of life can also be introduced into this “Brickz of Life”, with which a completely new soil can be developed even on totally exhausted and broken soils.
River sediment was already actively used as a soil improver in early agriculture. That was not only the case in Ancient Egypt, but also in the “Ancient Netherlands” before the advent of artificial fertilizers. The challenge in the future is to use the sediment supplemented with nutrients (again) as fertilizer for agriculture and forestry.
The use of mycorrhiza is central to the production of Brickz. The mycorrhiza in the blocks filled with river sediment form a mutualistic relationship with the plants (roots). In particular, the nutrient phosphate, which is usually present in the soil with limited absorption, is transported in a natural situation by mycorrhizal fungi to the plant roots. The absorption of other nutrients, including trace elements, also goes through the fungi.
The water absorption by plants and the disease resistance of plants is better in a soil system with mycorrhiza. In fact, the root system of the plant is refined and substantially expanded. Application of mycorrhiza is a sustainable alternative to the use of fertilizer.
By developing the Brickz in close collaboration with farmers and foresters, a demand-driven product has been developed in which different variants offer solutions for different crops, soil issues and pests.
We are already cooperating with a number of water boards and site managers, including in Gelderland, Noord-Brabant, and Overijssel, and explorations are taking place in other continents and countries.
Contact information: Tom Bade t.bade@planet.nl or Rob Wolters Info@sevenwaves.eu
