Background
Greenhouse nutrient feedwater (GNF) is an under-utilized resource generated during greenhouse production of vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants. Discharge of GNF to the environment must meet provincial regulations under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002, necessitating GNF management infrastructure. In this study, we explored the use of aquatic plants in the duckweed (Lemnaceae) family to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from GNF. Duckweed biomass has many potential downstream uses, including in the food/feed and biofuel sectors.
Objectives
- Screen environmental duckweed isolates for their ability to grow on GNF.
- Using response surface methodology, test the response (growth rate, nitrate uptake, phosphate uptake) of duckweed isolates grown at different temperature, photoperiod, initial nitrate concentration, and initial phosphate concentration.
- Grow duckweed isolates under optimal conditions identified by the model derived from previous experiments to assess the model’s accuracy.
- Grow duckweed in a continuous culture system at the pilot scale inside the greenhouse complex at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus.
Contact
For more information on this project, please follow the link below to a summary: https://cares.uoguelph.ca/files/2023/10/Remediation-of-GNF-with-Duckweed.pdf
For additional information, please contact Dr. Brandon Gilroyed (bgilroye@uoguelph.ca).