Page 19 - Griffin Gazette Issue 1 - 2022

Read the full study here:
https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/abstract/journals/hortsci/52/2/article-p258.xml

Many nursery growers may wonder if switching to water recycling practices
may save them money or actually cost them more. New research presented
to the American Society of Horticultural Science takes a deep dive into the
factors affecting these calculations. The study looked at real and simulated
outdoor ornamental nursery container production, primarily focused on the
mid-Atlantic region. As with many choices, outcomes are highly dependent
on location.

Three key factors should be considered when planning changes. The first
is the availability of groundwater resources. Some areas in the country
are particularly water rich, with large amounts of easily accessible ground
water. In these areas, implementing recycling may be more costly than
practical. Other areas may have poor quality or unavailable groundwater;
these factors help justify the costs. The second factor is the cost of
regrading production areas. Implementing water recycling strategies often
requires some level of regrading ground to assist in water recapture. Some
production areas may require very little, while others may need significant
work. Finally, growers must consider the cost of dedicating areas to water
storage rather than production. Water storage can take the form of surface
ponds or large storage tanks; either way, these become areas that are
unusable for active plant production. How much potential production is lost
when converting that area to water storage? How much savings does that
represent when the grower compares the cost of paying for municipal or
other water sources?

Though these three factors are not the only factors determining whether
growers should recycle water or not, they are highly important to
answering the cost related questions surrounding getting started. While
recapturing and recycling water may not always be economically feasible,
understanding these factors can help growers decide when to invest in the
face of changing conditions. The authors recommend growers keep an eye
to future water availability issues and investigate the value-added aspect
of environmentally conscious production. Water scarcity is just one reason
to consider recapture and recycling; growers with an open mind may find
a wealth of opportunity in implementing these environmentally conscious
technologies.

GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2022 | 19