Wetland Technologies for Nursery and Greenhouse Compliance with Nutrient Regulations

White, Susan W.

doi:10.21273/hortsci.48.9.1103

Cited by 37 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…Although the volume of water and application efficiency are vitally important to conserving water, water quality experts are also concerned about the presence of pathogens and agrichemicals in irrigation runoff from these same operations (Raudales, Parke, Guy, & Fisher, 2014;White, 2013b;Wilson, Riiska, & Albano, 2010). For example, in the U.S. there is a concern that contaminated water could impact plant communities in areas such as the Florida Everglades, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Great Lakes Basin, and the San Francisco Bay (White, 2013a;Wilson & Boman, 2011;Wilson & Foos, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diffusing Water Conservation and Treatment Technologies to Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Lamm

Warner

Taylor

et al. 2017

JIAEE

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Nursery and greenhouse operations require significantly large amounts of water to maintain product quality and often use more than what is needed by the crop being grown. The nursery industry’s use of water is highly criticized and adds to arguments against agricultural water use with increasingly limited water resources available globally. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and motivators associated with nursery and greenhouse growers’ adoption of water conservation and treatment technologies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 operators across the U.S. to identify their perceptions of new water-saving technologies and treatments based on the five attributes of an innovation identified by Rogers (2003). The findings revealed growers are aware of water-saving technologies and the rate of adoption depends on a variety of factors including: perceived cost, lack of ability of their workforce to use the new technology due to its complexity, and belief that their product will be worth more if it is grown in an environmentally-friendly manner. Barriers to adoption included the high cost of replacing equipment, incompatibility with existing systems, and the perception that new technologies do not fit in with the traditional hands-on approach to horticulture. Suggested extension programs to reach growers include developing materials that highlight the economic benefit of adoption and cost recovery, YouTube videos that reduce issues with perceived complexity growers can use with their workers, and programs that emphasize how technology fits in with the culture of the horticulture industry.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diffusing Water Conservation and Treatment Technologies to Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Lamm

Warner

Taylor

et al. 2017

JIAEE

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“…Wastewater solutions were prepared by adding 100 mg · L -1 PO 4 -P and other nutrients at the rates listed in Table 2 to deionized water (low alkalinity) or tap water (high alkalinity) by dissolving KH 2 PO 4 and Plantex Ò 14-0-14 Cal Mag Fertilizer (Plant Products Co. Ltd, Brampton, ON, Canada). P concentration represented a medium to high wastewater P concentration based on the literature (White, 2013), and other nutrient concentrations were typical of a greenhouse vegetable feeding nutrient solution. Alkalinity of low-and high-alkalinity solutions was 78 and 220 mg · L -1 CaCO 3 , respectively, representing the extremes of the range of alkalinity reported in greenhouse wastewater (50-250 mg · L -1 CaCO 3 ; MOE, 2012).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Precipitation/Flocculation Method for Nutrient Recovery from Greenhouse Wastewater

Dunets¹,

Zheng²

2015

horts

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Phosphorus (P) pollution from greenhouse wastewater is currently a major issue. A treatment method that can efficiently remove P concentrations ([P]) that fluctuate between greenhouse systems and throughout the year is required. An ideal method would also recover nutrients in a reuseable form. A combined precipitation/ flocculation process incorporating addition of lime and a biodegradable flocculant (guar gum, cationic starch, or chitosan) was investigated for providing optimized P removal and recovery. Effectiveness of this process was evaluated in simulated wastewater of low and high alkalinity, as well as real greenhouse wastewater. Precipitation via lime addition reduced total P to below 1 mg · L L1 in low-alkalinity simulated wastewater, but high alkalinity slightly inhibited separation. This inhibition was overcome by flocculation via guar gum or cationic starch addition, which improved separation efficiency and reduced separation time, although chitosan was ineffective as a flocculant. The precipitation/ flocculation method was found to be effective for treating real greenhouse wastewater, although effectiveness varied with variation in wastewater composition. Recovered precipitate contained 57.4 g · kg L1 P as well as high levels of Ca, Mg, K, Fe, and Zn. This study demonstrates a P separation process incorporating lime and biodegradable flocculants could provide a means of reducing P in greenhouse wastewater below a 1 mg · L L1 regulatory limit in a settling time of less than 30 minutes, while simultaneously recovering P and other nutrients in a form that could be reused as fertilizer. An evaluation of viability of full-scale application of this technology is now warranted.

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“…Growers may try to alleviate these changes through a combination of factors including drilling more wells, storing more surface water, increasing irrigation efficiency, and changing the mix of plants they grow [55]. Higher uncertainty regarding water availability should encourage growers to reduce water use, increase on-site storage, recapture or reuse water from their growing areas, or a combination of some or all of these practices [67][68][69].…”

Section: Regulations and Policy Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social and Economic Aspects of Water Use in Specialty Crop Production in the USA: A Review

Majsztrik

Behe

Hall

et al. 2019

Water

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Understanding human behavior is a complicated and complex endeavor. Academicians and practitioners need to understand the underlying beliefs and motivations to identify current trends and to effectively develop means of communication and education that encourage change in attitudes and behavior. Sociological research can provide information about how and why people make decisions; this information impacts the research and extension community, helping them formulate programs and present information in a way that increases adoption rates. Life cycle assessment can document how plant production impacts the environment. Production of ornamental plants (greenhouse, container, and field produced flowers trees and shrubs) accounted for 4.4% of the total annual on-farm income and 8.8% of the crop income produced in the United States in 2017, representing a substantial portion of farmgate receipts. Greenhouse and nursery growing operations can use this information to increase production and water application efficiency and decrease input costs. Information related to the environmental impacts of plant production, derived from life cycle assessment, can also inform consumer purchase decisions. Information from water footprint analysis quantifies the relative abundance and availability of water on a regional basis, helping growers understand water dynamics in their operation and informing consumer plant purchases based on water availability and conservation preference. Economics can motivate growers to adopt new practices based on whether they are saving or making money, and consumers modify product selection based on preference for how products are produced. Specialty crop producers, including nursery and greenhouse container operations, rely heavily on high quality water from surface and groundwater resources for crop production; but irrigation return flow from these operations can contribute to impairment of water resources. This review focuses on multiple facets of the socioeconomics of water use, reuse, and irrigation return flow management in nursery and greenhouse operations, focusing on grower and consumer perceptions of water; barriers to adoption of technology and innovations by growers; economic considerations for implementing new technologies; and understanding environmental constraints through life cycle assessment and water footprint analyses. Specialty crop producers can either voluntarily adapt practices gradually to benefit both economic and environmental sustainability or they may eventually be forced to change due to external factors (e.g., regulations). Producers need to have the most current information available to inform their decisions regarding water management.

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Wetland Technologies for Nursery and Greenhouse Compliance with Nutrient Regulations

Cited by 37 publications

References 33 publications

Diffusing Water Conservation and Treatment Technologies to Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Diffusing Water Conservation and Treatment Technologies to Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Combined Precipitation/Flocculation Method for Nutrient Recovery from Greenhouse Wastewater

Social and Economic Aspects of Water Use in Specialty Crop Production in the USA: A Review

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