Nursery runoff collection and treatment systems
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The nursery and greenhouse industry is the fastest growing segment of US agriculture. Consumer demand for excellent product quality requires luxury applications of water and agricultural chemicals. Unfortunately, these cultural practices may deplete water resources and yield significant volumes of runoff rich in nutrients and pesticides. Collection, treatment, and reuse of irrigation and stormwater runoff from nursery and greenhouse operations provides a solution to high water use and pollution potential. This paper describes the basic components required for such a collection and treatment system. In addition, a pilot-scale runoff management project recently implemented at the Nursery/Floral Crops Research and Education Facility near the campus of Texas A&M University is described in detail. This pilot-scale system features subsurface runoff collection with treatment in constructed wetlands. The wetlands provided substantial reduction of runoff nutrient concentrations without negatively impacting conductivity (EC), an indicator of salinity. Growth of wetland vegetation and nursery crops receiving recycled runoff was measured as an indicator of collection and treatment system performance. Growth of Iris pseudacorus L. and Canna x generalis L.H. Bailey was greater in the free-surface flow wetland cells, while that of Colocasia sp. Fabr. was greater in the sub-surface flow cells. Equisetum hyemale L. grew equally well in both cell types. Direct use of nursery runoff reduced the number of Ilex vomitoria Ait. `Nana' reaching marketable size in 2.3 L nursery containers during the course of the study. Interactions among irrigation water sources and growth indices occurred for Juniperus procumbens `Green Mound' and I. vomitoria `Nana', but not for Raphiolepis indica L. `Carmelita'.
