NATO plans to test perennial grass seeds to improve contaminated land in Ukraine

Ukraine has extremely fertile black soil, which has made it a major food producer and exporter, but the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has polluted Ukrainian land. In response, NATO plans to test perennial grass species to improve Ukrainian land.

According to the "AFP" report, within the NATO Peace and Security Science Program, the Czech University of Purkinje (UJEP) is studying whether a grass species called Giant Miscanthus can remove pollutants from the soil.

Giant miscanthus is native to East Asia and is now widely grown across Europe to produce biomass energy for heating. Biomass energy is renewable energy that uses organic matter to convert into heat energy, electricity or fuel.

Josef Trogl, an environmental scholar at Purkinje University, said the goal is to produce biomass energy while restoring contaminated areas in Ukraine. Trogel said that giant miscanthus can transport about 40% of the organic matter produced by photosynthesis to the soil through its roots, which is much higher than that of ordinary crops.

Ember Morrissey, a biologist at West Virginia University and co-author of the giant miscanthus research report, also pointed out that giant miscanthus can grow on degraded and contaminated soil, and the huge root system it forms can absorb metals and restore soil organic matter.

A team led by Ukrainian-born Purkinje University professor Valentina Pidlisnyuk is currently planting giant miscanthus in Vorzel, near Bucha, a suburb of Kiev.

This research, launched in 2023, is part of NATO's Peace and Security Science Program and aims to reduce the impact of military activities on the environment. The current plan is expected to last until next year, but Trogl hopes to extend the project period because the giant miscanthus needs many years to grow to effectively clean the soil.