Flowers Grown Floating on Polluted Waterways Can Help Clean Up Nutrient Runoff and Turn a Profit
March 15, 2024 | 1 min to read
Research shows that flowers cultivated on low-cost floating platforms can effectively clean polluted waterways, extracting 52% more phosphorus and 36% more nitrogen than the untreated natural nitrogen cycle over 12 weeks. Among various flowers tested, giant marigolds excelled, yielding long, marketable stems and large blooms comparable to standard flower farm production. This innovative method not only filters water but also taps into the lucrative floral market, addressing water pollution from agricultural and urban runoff.
Flowers grown on inexpensive floating platforms can help clean polluted waterways, over 12 weeks extracting 52% more phosphorus and 36% more nitrogen than the natural nitrogen cycle removes from untreated water, according to our new research. In addition to filtering water, the cut flowers can generate income via the multibillion-dollar floral market.
In our trials of various flowers, giant marigolds stood out as the most successful, producing long, marketable stems and large blooms. Their yield matched typical flower farm production.
Why it matters
Water pollution is caused in large part by runoff from farms, urban lawns and even septic tanks. When it rains, excess phosphorus, nitrogen and other chemicals wash into lakes and rivers.
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