New trials confirm that SoilSteam has cracked the code: Strawberry substrate can be steam-treated and reused
Two years of trials conducted in collaboration with Proefcentrum Hoogstraten and local strawberry growers show that used substrate can be steam-treated and reused in strawberry production without any loss of yield or fruit quality.
In new trials conducted in 2026, used substrate was collected together with plant residues from the previous crop, shredded and treated using SoilSteam technology. It was then reused as 100% of the growing medium in a new crop of the strawberry variety Sonsation.
The results were very encouraging:
- Fresh substrate produced a yield of 6.14 kg/m².
- Steam-treated substrate produced between 6.31 and 6.39 kg/m².
- Untreated substrate containing plant residues produced only 5.05 kg/m².
- No significant differences were recorded in fruit quality, firmness, sugar content or shelf life.
The trial therefore confirms the results from 2025: steam treatment restores the substrate’s growing potential, even when the substrate is reused in full.
Lower energy consumption
This year’s trials also demonstrated that the same strong results can be achieved at lower treatment temperatures. At the same time, recorded energy consumption during the trial was reduced from 160 to 90 kWh—a reduction of nearly 44%.
This makes the solution even more attractive for commercial strawberry production.
By using the substrate for two production cycles, growers could, in principle, halve the cost of purchasing fresh substrate before treatment and logistics costs are taken into account. Our calculations also indicate that the carbon footprint associated with the growing medium could be reduced by up to 90%.
The results demonstrate that used substrate does not have to be a single-use resource. With the right treatment, it can be reused with the same yield and quality, but with lower costs and a substantially smaller carbon footprint.
Read the full trial report: