Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 3/25/14

Seashore mallow, a salt-tolerant, flowering plant found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, may serve as an alternative material for poultry house bedding, says a marine scientist.

Jack Gallagher, professor emeritus of marine biosciences at the University of Delaware, has studied seashore mallow’s effectiveness as a buffer plant against coastal flooding, according to the University of Delaware’s UDaily.

Seashore mallow seeds are attractive as a source for biodiesel, considering their high percentage of oil, but scientists think they can harvest the rest of the plant’s material into everything from animal bedding to cattle feed.

This spring the university will conduct a trial comparing seashore mallow bedding to conventional pine shavings, as well as Miscanthus and switchgrass. In this case, the mallow is chopped into 1-inch pieces that will be studied for their insulation properties as well as their ability to repel uric acid.

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