An Appraisal of Potential for Sowing of Nasturtium officinale Into Streams to Mitigate Nutrient Pollution in Eastern Scotland.

ABSTRACT: This study examines a farmer-led initiative to sow watercress (Nasturtium officinale) in field ditches. The objective was to assess the potential of this practice to mitigate summer nutrient loads in rivers. Two ditches-one seeded, the other unseeded-on a mixed-livestock farm in Eastern Scotland were monitored during the spring-summer of 2014-2016. The un-replicated trial design limited statistical analysis. However, changes in N and P concentrations along the two ditches were measured. In the watercress-seeded ditch, N retention of 0.092 g/m2/d (p < 0.001, SE = 0.020) and P retention of 0.0092 g/m2/d (p = 0.001, SE = 0.0028) occurred, while total organic C in the water increased along the ditch. Retention was close to zero for the unseeded ditch. The seeded ditch was also found to have mo

SUBMITTER: Vinten A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7037887 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature