A Water and Nutrient Management Planning Process for Container Nursery and Greenhouse Production Systems in Maryland

Nutrient loss from commercial vegetable fields has become a significant environmental issue in all the major vegetable-producing regions of the United States. Growers are facing potentially disruptive regulations aimed at improving the quality of both surface and ground water. Significant improvement in nutrient management will be required to meet this regulatory challenge. This paper discusses five practical, low-cost nutrient best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs are widely applicable, relatively inexpensive to implement, and can dramatically reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loss from vegetable fields. However, even with careful application of these BMPs, runoff and leachate from vegetable fields may periodically exceed environmental water quality standards, which are very stringent.

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434 Environmental Risk Assessment—A Nutrient Management Planning Strategy For Nursery and Greenhouse Systems

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.35.3.468c ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 468C-468

Author(s):

John D. Lea-Cox

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Risk Assessment ◽

Risk Management ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Planning Process ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Assessment Process ◽

Management Options ◽

Management Planning ◽

Nutrient Runoff

In 1998, the state of Maryland adopted some of the toughest nutrient management planning regulations in the Nation, requiring virtually all agricultural operations plan and implement nitrogen and phosphorus-based management plans by Dec. 2002. The nursery and greenhouse industry is faced with a far more complicated nutrient management planning process than traditional agronomic planning scenarios. Factors include a large number (>500) of plant species, various fertilization and irrigation strategies, with crop cycles ranging from 6 weeks (bedding plants) to upwards of 15 years for some tree species in field production, often with a lack of knowledge of specific nutrient uptake rates and utilization. In addition, unique infrastructural and site characteristics that contribute to water and nutrient runoff from each nursery contribute to a multitude of variables that should be considered in the planning process. The challenge was to identify a simple, effective process for nutrient management planning that would a) provide an accurate assessment of nutrient loss potential from this wide variety of production scenarios, b) identify those specific factors that contribute most to nutrient leaching and runoff, and c) provide a mechanism to economically assess the various risk management (mitigation) scenarios. This risk assessment process provides information on a number of fixed (site) and dynamic (management) variables for soils/substrates, irrigation and fertilization practices, together with any surface water management systems (e.g. containment ponds, riparian buffers). When all the risk factors for a nursery are evaluated and scored, the complete picture of risk assessment then emerges. By identifying higher risk factors and evaluating different risk management options, the grower and/or nutrient management planner can then choose economic alternatives to reduce the potential for nutrient runoff.

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The Impact of the Louisiana Master Gardener Program on the Perceived and Actual Horticultural Knowledge of Program Participants

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.4.968e ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 968E-969

Author(s):

Bobby H. Fletcher ◽

Michael F. Burnett ◽

Krisanna L. Machtmes ◽

Jeff S. Kuehny

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

The United States ◽

Master Gardener ◽

Perceived Knowledge ◽

Highly Educated ◽

Best Management ◽

Before And After ◽

Knowledge And Practice ◽

The Impact

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in the Master Gardener program on horticultural knowledge and practice. In 1972, the “Master Gardener” concept was initiated in Washington State due to the high demand to answer consumer horticultural questions. The main objective of this program is to increase horticultural knowledge of program participants so they can transfer this information to consumer horticultural clientele. The program quickly spread throughout the United States. It reached Louisiana in 1994 and was expanded throughout most metropolitan areas by 1997. No formal evaluation has been conducted to determine the horticultural knowledge impacts of this program. All 257 participants in the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener (LMG) program were surveyed before and after participation in this program. The survey used was a researcher-developed instrument designed to measure self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and Best Management Practices (BMPs) used. Data were collected by master gardener coordinators and submitted to the researcher after each phase of data collection (pre and post). Results of the study revealed that the LMG participants were highly educated, mostly Caucasian, and mostly female. Significant improvements were identified in all of the knowledge and practice measurements included in the study. These included self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and use of BMPs. It was concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program was effective in increasing the self-perceived horticultural knowledge and tested horticultural knowledge of program participants. In addition, the study concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program improved the use of BMPs among the participants.

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Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably

10.7287/peerj.preprints.3464 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Claire E LaCanne ◽

Jonathan G Lundgren

Keyword(s):

Natural Resource ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farming Systems ◽

The United States ◽

Production Model ◽

Level Shift ◽

Resource Base ◽

Corn Production

Most cropland in the U.S. is characterized by large monocultures, whose productivity is maintained through a strong reliance on costly tillage, external fertilizers, and pesticides ( Schipanski et al., 2016 ) . Despite this, farmers have developed a regenerative model of farm production that promotes soil health and biodiversity, while producing nutrient-dense farm products profitably. Little work has focused on the relative costs and benefits of novel regenerative farming operations, which necessitates studying in situ, farmer-defined best management practices. Here, we evaluate the relative effects of regenerative and conventional corn production systems on pest management services, soil conservation, and farmer profitability and productivity throughout the Northern Plains of the United States. Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms, indicating that farmers who proactively design pest-resilient food systems outperform farmers that react to pests chemically. Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base: two factors that are pitted against one another in simplified food production systems. To attain this requires a systems-level shift on the farm; simply applying individual regenerative practices within the current production model will not likely produce the documented results.

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Phase II MS4 challenges: moving toward effective stormwater management for small municipalities

Urban Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s11252-021-01179-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leslie Rieck ◽

Craig Carson ◽

Robert J. Hawley ◽

Madison Heller ◽

Mike Paul ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Ii ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Stormwater Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

The United States ◽

Management Plans ◽

Pollutant Discharge ◽

Downstream Communities

AbstractFederal regulations for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) in the United States have been in place since 1990 as part of the Nation Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), aiming to reduce sediment and pollutant loads originating from urban areas. However, small-municipality (Phase II) MS4s frequently grapple with several challenges, resulting in a lack of stakeholder buy-in and actionable stormwater management plans. We identify five common challenges concerning MS4 requirements based on literature review, professional experience, and feedback solicited from stakeholders, municipal managers, and fellow professionals and offer real-world examples of efficient, effective MS4 frameworks and/or solutions. The five challenges are summarized as beliefs that: (1) agricultural land use is the largest pollutant contributor and the root cause of pollution problems; (2) stormwater management only benefits downstream communities; (3) large, expensive projects are required to comply with regulations; (4) maintenance, monitoring, and inspection of best management practices (BMPs) is overwhelmingly complex and expensive; and (5) a lack of direct funding makes complying with regulations an impossible task. These challenges are universal in nature for Phase II MS4 permittees and can create real barriers for effective stormwater management. However, we found many examples of methods or techniques to effectively address these five specific challenges, making them well-suited and important for discussion. BMPs can create tangible improvements for surrounding communities (e.g., reduced streambank erosion and flooding), and improved understanding of the structure and options within the MS4 program will help small municipalities make informed choices about management plans.

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Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4428 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4428 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Claire E. LaCanne ◽

Jonathan G. Lundgren

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Natural Resource ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farming Systems ◽

The United States ◽

Production Model ◽

Level Shift ◽

Corn Production

Most cropland in the United States is characterized by large monocultures, whose productivity is maintained through a strong reliance on costly tillage, external fertilizers, and pesticides (Schipanski et al., 2016). Despite this, farmers have developed a regenerative model of farm production that promotes soil health and biodiversity, while producing nutrient-dense farm products profitably. Little work has focused on the relative costs and benefits of novel regenerative farming operations, which necessitates studying in situ, farmer-defined best management practices. Here, we evaluate the relative effects of regenerative and conventional corn production systems on pest management services, soil conservation, and farmer profitability and productivity throughout the Northern Plains of the United States. Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms, indicating that farmers who proactively design pest-resilient food systems outperform farmers that react to pests chemically. Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base: two factors that are pitted against one another in simplified food production systems. To attain this requires a systems-level shift on the farm; simply applying individual regenerative practices within the current production model will not likely produce the documented results.

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Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably

10.7287/peerj.preprints.3464v1 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Claire E LaCanne ◽

Jonathan G Lundgren

Keyword(s):

Natural Resource ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farming Systems ◽

The United States ◽

Production Model ◽

Level Shift ◽

Resource Base ◽

Corn Production

Most cropland in the U.S. is characterized by large monocultures, whose productivity is maintained through a strong reliance on costly tillage, external fertilizers, and pesticides ( Schipanski et al., 2016 ) . Despite this, farmers have developed a regenerative model of farm production that promotes soil health and biodiversity, while producing nutrient-dense farm products profitably. Little work has focused on the relative costs and benefits of novel regenerative farming operations, which necessitates studying in situ, farmer-defined best management practices. Here, we evaluate the relative effects of regenerative and conventional corn production systems on pest management services, soil conservation, and farmer profitability and productivity throughout the Northern Plains of the United States. Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms, indicating that farmers who proactively design pest-resilient food systems outperform farmers that react to pests chemically. Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base: two factors that are pitted against one another in simplified food production systems. To attain this requires a systems-level shift on the farm; simply applying individual regenerative practices within the current production model will not likely produce the documented results.

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A Nursery and Greenhouse Online Knowledge Center: Learning Opportunities for Sustainable Practice

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.20.3.509 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 509-517 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John D. Lea-Cox ◽

Cindy Zhao ◽

David S. Ross ◽

Theodore E. Bilderback ◽

J. Roger Harris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Health Management ◽

Cost Effective ◽

The United States ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Management Approach ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Management Planning ◽

Learning Modules

Increasing environmental concerns and legislation in many states and in other countries require that we take a more comprehensive sustainable “best management” approach to production techniques in nursery and greenhouse operations. This is particularly important because these production facilities are typically intense users of resources that are applied to relatively small land areas. We have developed an online knowledge center to facilitate the implementation of more sustainable practices within the nursery and greenhouse industry. A web-based knowledge center provides the most cost-effective mechanism for information delivery, as our potential audiences are extremely diverse and widespread. We currently have a registered user database of over 450 educators, growers, and industry professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students. A gateway website provides an overview of the issues and the goals of the project. The associated knowledge center currently has 25 in-depth learning modules, designed in a Moodle learning management framework. These learning modules are designed to actively engage learners in topics on substrate, irrigation, surface water, and nutrient and crop health management, which are integral to formulating farm-specific strategies for more sustainable water and nutrient management practices. Additional modules provide assessment and implementation tools for irrigation audits, irrigation methods and technologies, and water and nutrient management planning. The instructional design of the learning modules was paramount because there can be multiple strategies to improve site-specific production practices, which often require an integration of knowledge from engineering, plant science, and plant pathology disciplines. The assessment and review of current practices, and the decision to change a practice, are often not linear, nor simple. All modules were designed with this process in mind, and include numerous resources [pictures, diagrams, case studies, and assessment tools (e.g., spreadsheets and example calculations)] to enable the learner to fully understand all of the options available and to think critically about his/her decisions. Sixteen of the modules were used to teach an intensive 400-level “Principles of Water and Nutrient Management” course at the University of Maryland during Spring 2008 and 2009. The water and nutrient management planning module also supports the nursery and greenhouse Farmer Training Certification program in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Agriculture provides continuing education credits for all consultants and growers who register and complete any module in the knowledge center. Although these learning resources were developed by faculty in the eastern region of the United States, much of the information is applicable to more widespread audiences.

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