As James mentions, prioritizing water quality for different needs is key. Use the lowest EC water for propagation – most plants and highest value per liter, most sensitive, and that is where RO or similar is the quickest payback.

 

Paul Fisher, Ph.D.

Professor and Extension Specialist

2549 Fifield Hall, 2550 Hull Road,

PO Box 110670, Gainesville, FL 326211-0670

[log in to unmask], 352 226 4410

 

From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Altland, James - REE-ARS
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [External Email]Re: Salt Water Intrusion Question

 

[External Email]

Jeb,

 

I worked with a nursery in Oregon that had multiple farms, one of which had high salt levels (Na) in their groundwater.  Some species were tolerant or indifferent to high salt, while some were very sensitive.  So they grew plants in the different farms according to their sensitivities.  You could employ a similar strategy even within a single farm.  Taking what Raul mentioned with dilution, you could dilute the water more or less in different parts of the nursery depending on crop sensitivity.  But how do you know which crops are sensitive?  That’s hard to know.  This nursery learned by experience.  Genhua, Raul, and Youping have been studying relative sensitivity of many crops to high EC levels.  Their research would be a very useful start for making a list of sensitive (or tolerant) crops.

 

James

 

James Altland, Research Leader

Application Technology Research Unit

220 FABE Building

OARDC

1680 Madison Ave.

Wooster, OH  44691

330-317-9142

[log in to unmask]

 

 

From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Raul Cabrera
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 5:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [External Email]Re: Salt Water Intrusion Question

 

Some people who received this message don't often get email from [log in to unmask]. Learn why this is important

[External Email]
If this message comes from an unexpected sender or references a vague/unexpected topic;
Use caution before clicking links or opening attachments.
Please send any concerns or suspicious messages to:
[log in to unmask]

Hi Jeb,

 

On just broad terms, with sea/saltwater intrusion growers will deal with EC increases dominated by NaCl (making over 90% of the total dissolved ions), which will also lead to specific toxicity issues with these two ions (most woody plants respond negatively to >2 mM Cl and >3 mM Na, or >70 ppm for both). This being said, dilution is the simplest/cheapest way to deal with the brackish water you end up with saltwater intrusion (“dilution is the solution for seawater pollution”).

 

A couple of decades ago some nurseries in Texas dealing with naturally brackish (up to 10,000 ppm soluble salts or EC 12 dS/m) groundwater supplies were doing reverse osmosis on some volumes of water, which then they blended back with the brackish water to dilute the salt content, minimized foliage wetting and use very high leaching fractions to deal with these issues. I believe David W. Reed describes some of these in Chapter 3 of his (edited) 1996 Manual on Water Media and Nutrition (Ball Publishing). I believe the Texas Water Board allows to dispose of the large volumes/fractions of brine water produced by the RO systems (25-80% waste brine water) by injecting into very deep saline aquifers. You will have to check with the Louisiana Water boards to see the regulations on RO brine water.

 

Feel free to call/text/email me if I can be of assistance.

 

Best regards,

 

Raul

 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Raul I. Cabrera, Extension Specialist

    in Nursery Crops Management

Dept. of Plant Biology, Rutgers University

Rutgers Agric. Research & Extension Center

121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302

856-391-7632   [log in to unmask]

 

 

From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Fields, Jeb S. <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 4:41 PM
To:
[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Salt Water Intrusion Question

Hi fellow water enthusiasts,

 

I am working to find some options for our growers dealing with salt water intrusion in the New Orleans and below area. I thought this group might have some ideas they would be willing to share.

 

If anyone doesn’t know, we have been in a massive drought in southern LA this summer. As a result saltwater is moving up the Mississippi River and getting into the groundwater and drinking water. I have a few large nurseries in the sub New Orleans areas looking for options. I am pulling resources together and thought I would ask if anyone has some insight as to dealing with saltwater intrusion on the nursery, or any resources available for growers.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jeb

 

Jeb S. Fields, PhD

Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, LSU AgCenter

Assistant Research Coordinator, Hammond Research Station

Arlene and Joseph Meraux Endowed Professor of Commercial Horticulture

21549 Old Covington Hwy., Hammond, LA  70403

Email: [log in to unmask]

Office: 985-543-4125

 





This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.