26 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | April 2024 loose for the growing season, with the most obvious sign of success being the growth of the plants. Lab analysis includes weekly water samples from each pond to measure any reduction in contamination and tissue samples taken from both the roots and shoots of the plants to quantify the level of nutrient uptake. Last year was the first season for plant growth on the islands. Early results showed that some plants, like chives, did not grow and so their use has been abandoned. While the root zones for the sedges and Baltic rush were not as large as hoped for, they did do well with their surface growth. With one more year of growth to go, it is hoped that those root zones will reach deeper into the ponds as they get more established. Installation of the islands is easy. Strung together with carabiners, and secured to the pond’s edge with ropes, a line of floating islands can span the width of a storm pond and be moved as a unit or pulled off the water as needed. As for maintenance, Karran’s advice is to “harvest the plant material every year, actually remove it, but in the case of nutrients, I think we’re assuming that that biomass is going to regenerate every year and then decompose in the soil media in the islands itself.” If the floating islands turn out to be successful at cleaning storm pond water to a safe level to be used for cattle or for irrigation, it would be another low-cost tool for producers to increase their sustainability. Having experienced a drought that has lasted a few years, access to as much clean water as is available can only be a good thing. Funded by industry stakeholders such as Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Henry Heuver (founder of Foothills Landscaping), High Plains Industrial Park, RDAR, and UFA, this project hopes to have the technical report ready by mid 2025. Long-term monitoring of the test ponds is the plan, but will depend on the availability of renewed funding. “This knowledge is very much transferable to a lot of different sectors. We’re hoping to generate this knowledge for not only the ag sector, but for the floating islands itself, and for anyone who might consider it as a remediation tool,” explains Karran. BF RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: FLOATING ISLANDS ADELINE PANAMAROFF Adeline Panamaroff lives in Edmonton, Alta. She grew up on a grain farm in Saskatchewan, where she learned about the hard work that goes into achieving a successful harvest. ALBERTA ONTARIO QUEBEC ATLANTIC WWW.STRONGCO.COM Contact your nearest branch Farmer’s choice The all-rounder for agriculture Volvo wheel loaders are built to take on the tough work you face every day. Whether you’re hauling feed, moving animal waste or carrying hay bales, your Volvo wheel loader can do it all. FARMERS LOVE MAGAZINES 92% of farmers use ag magazines monthly, compared to 44% for websites, 43% for radio and 10% for farm shows. (Verified Readex Research study)
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