Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) runoff from containerized nurseries contributes impaired US waterways. Virginia Tech aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ferric aided zeolite sieves with or without bioreactors as a potential BMP for N and P removal of containerized nursery production tail-water (i.e. runoff). The ferric aided zeolite sieve without woodchip bioreactor achieved an average P removal efficiency of 30% with no effect on N removal. Woodchip bioreactors preceding zeolite was effective for N removal with an average rate of 14%. Woodchip bioreactors reduced efficacy at N removal was presumed to be a result of retention times >24hrs and high sulfur concentrations. Ferric aided zeolite+woodchip bioreactor treatment trains may be effective for N and P reduction in nursery tail-water if designed properly to avoid excessive retention times in the denitrification bioreactors.
Watch the presentation here https://youtu.be/7V_H_6orlJc
RemovalNitrogenPhosphorusfromNurseryRunoffusingZeoliteandWoodchips (4957 KB)
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A national team of scientists is working to encourage use of alternative water resources by the nation’s billion-dollar nursery and floriculture industry has been awarded funds for the first year of an $8.7 million, five year US Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture –Specialty Crop Research Initiative competitive grant.
The team will develop and apply systems-based solutions to assist grower decision making by providing science-based information to increase use of recycled water. This award from the NIFA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative is managed by Project Director Sarah White of Clemson University. She leads a group of 21 scientists from nine U.S. institutions.
Entitled “Clean WateR3 - Reduce, Remediate, Recycle – Enhancing Alternative Water Resources Availability and Use to Increase Profitability in Specialty Crops”, the Clean WateR3 team will assist the grower decision-making process by providing science-based information on nutrient, pathogen, and pesticide fate in recycled water both before and after treatment, average cost and return-on investment of technologies examined, and model-derived, site specific recommendations for water management. The trans-disciplinary Clean WateR3 team will develop these systems-based solutions by integrating sociological, economic, modeling, and biological data into a user-friendly decision-support system intended to inform and direct our stakeholders’ water management decision-making process.
The Clean WateR3 grant team is working with a stakeholder group of greenhouse and nursery growers throughout the United States.
For example, at the University of Florida graduate student George Grant is collecting data on removal of paclobutrazol, a highly persistent plant growth regulator chemical, from recirculated water using granular activated carbon (GAC) filters. This is being done in both research greenhouses and in a commercial site. The GAC filters can remove more than 90% of chemical residues, and are proving to be a cost-effective treatment method.
