Impact of soil health BMPs on soil and water management in ornamental nurseries

Ann Huber

Trees sequester millions of tons CO2 per year in Canada.  However, tree production in nurseries can result in severe soil disturbance and organic carbon losses, erosion and nutrient losses to surface water, and degraded production fields.  In order to mitigate these effects and enhance its sustainability and resiliency, the sector needs Best Management Practices (BMPs) that combine building soil carbon stocks, reducing erosion and nutrient losses, and improve post-field water quality.

The project objectives are to examine the impacts of a multi-barrier approach using cover crops, organic matter amendments and hybrid treatment swales on key soil health measurements, erosion and nutrient losses, and post-field water quality.

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