To follow up on Jim's comment "In addition, I hope the growers in this region will consider collecting and using surface water or reclaimed water at their nurseries/greenhouse to prevent future."
Some in this group may remember our California tour a few years ago. Watsonville, (Pajaro Valley), has major issues with saltwater intrusion from years of over drafting. On the tour we saw how Kitayama Bros was significantly investing in rainwater catchments from the greenhouse roofs for their salt sensitive cut flowers. If you need an actual example, or grower case study, they could be a relevant contact, or reach out to Loren or Darren who I believe are still in this group.
Cheers,
Lloyd
Lloyd L. Nackley, Ph.D., Associate Professor Nursery Production and Greenhouse Management
Oregon State University | North Willamette Research & Extension Center
15210 NE Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon 97002-9543
From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Owen, Jim - REE-ARS
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 6:18 AM
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Subject: Re: [External Email]Re: Salt Water Intrusion Question
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Jeb,
Here is how I would approach in order of action.
1. Identify salinity of well(s) and identify if dilution or treatment is warranted. All wells may have varying intrusion based on depth, location, connectivity. Electrical conductivity (EC) can be used as an initial proxy for NaCl levels prior to testing. EC and salinity should directly correlate.
2. Identify salt tolerance of most important economic crops and group accordingly; water to manage leaching fraction for salt control; noting some crops may have to be sacrificed to retain higher value crops.
* https://ucnfanews.ucanr.edu/Articles/Feature_Stories/Leaching_to_Manage_Salinity_in_Ornamental_Crops/
* https://digitalpubs.ext.vt.edu/vcedigitalpubs/2843385422231419/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=1#pg1
1. Dilute saline water, if possible, with municipal, surface or purchased water and apply below the your best SWAG NaCl concentration for each class (low, medium, high) of salt tolerant crops
2. Install desalination systems to provide dilutant water, noting that produced water volume will be considerably lower than need and the nursery must manage the brine (this is a longer term fix with large capital inlay potentially; also the technology providers seems to be in flux when last researching).
I wish your growers and community the best of luck in this time of pending crisis. Fingers crossed you receive the needed rain prior to having to enact emergency measures. In addition, I hope the growers in this region will consider collecting and using surface water or reclaimed water at their nurseries/greenhouse to prevent future.
Respectfully,
Jim
________________________________________________________________
James S. Owen Jr. PhD USDA - ARS Appl. Technol. Res. Unit
Research Horticulturist (757) 374-8153 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> On Behalf Of Fisher,Paul
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 9:01 AM
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Subject: Re: [External Email]Re: Salt Water Intrusion Question
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]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>, 352 226 4410
From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> On Behalf Of Altland, James - REE-ARS
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:56 AM
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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
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Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 5:12 PM
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Subject: [External Email]Re: Salt Water Intrusion Question
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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]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
From: Water Management and Quality for Ornamental Crop Production and Health <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Fields, Jeb S. <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 4:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[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
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Office: 985-543-4125
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