WSU will receive $99,778 in Phase I Research and Technology Development funding from Washington Technology Center and $19,956 from Plant Care Technologies Corporation for the project titled “Smart Bark Technology, a value-added opportunity for bark as a specialty plant care product.”

Washington’s sawmill industry produces 1.3 million tons of bark residues annually. Some of this forest industry byproduct is either converted to a lesser-value material or used as fuel to produce steam or heat. Most is discarded as waste, creating both disposal costs and potential environmental issues. 

In this Phase I project, WSU’s Assistant Professor Vikram Yadama and Associate Professor Rita Hummel plan to help Plant Care Technologies Corporation determine the feasibility of turning this bark waste material into a nutrient-supplying horticultural growing media. The team plans to conduct a thorough analysis of the effects of thermal treatment on bark’s absorption, retention and controlled release of nutrients, herbicides and pesticides. This project is a first step in turning wood waste into a valuable commercial product for the plant materials and horticultural industries.