Phytoremediation for Urban Agriculture with Marie-Anne Viau and Dr. Adrian Paul
Release Date: 06/07/2024
Field, Lab, Earth
Michael Torrey and Julie McClure of Torrey Advisory Group join Society CEO Jim Cudahy to discuss the impacts of the current administration on the Societies’ sciences, the Farm Bill, and how our members can be involved. Contact us at or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: . If you would like to reach out to Michael, you can find him here: If you would like to reach out to Julie, you...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Wild bee visitation unaffected by disparate nectar phenotypes in a sunflower inbred line population” with Dr. Jarrad Prasifka. Bees are important pollinators for sunflowers. But, just like humans, they also have preferences, which means it’s important for sunflower breeders to breed the kinds of sunflowers that bees like best. In this episode, Dr. Jarrad Prasifka joins me to discuss sunflower nectar and how much it affects wild bee preferences for sunflower lines. Tune in to learn: · How sunflower lines are bred ...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Mechanical management strategies improve corn production in organically managed living mulch systems” with Ben Brockmueller. Organic farming is a rich and rewarding challenge for farmers, but without the use of herbicides and other conventional methods, weed suppression can be a problem. Cover crops functioning as living mulches can be one way to overcome this challenge, but what works in one crop may not necessarily work in another. In this episode, Ben joins me to discuss cover crop management in corn as a means of weed suppression. Tune in to learn: ...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
Dr. Paul Skinner discusses his career in viticulture and his time as a member of the Soil Science Society of America. Contact us at or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: . If you would like to reach out to Paul, you can find him here: Resources Transcripts: Sequum Wine: Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Synthesis, function, and genetic variation of sorgoleone, the major biological nitrification inhibitor in sorghum” with Drs. Sakiko Okumoto, Bill Rooney, and Guntur Subbarao When we fertilize our crops, some of the nitrogen from that fertilizer gets converted into different forms through processes called nitrification and denitrification. When non-plant available forms of nitrogen exit the soil through water or as gas, it's a serious environmental problem. Thankfully, plants have some pretty nifty ways to prevent nitrification, such as biological nitrification inhibition or BNI, a process...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
We’re trying something a little bit different. In addition to our regular episodes with Abby, we’ll be adding a monthly bonus episode with Jim Cudahy, the CEO of the Societies. In this first episode, Jim has a chat with the three Society presidents, discussing current challenges and opportunities for the Societies, including ways that members can get the most out of our programs, but guests will vary a lot from there! Please give a listen and let us know what you think. If there are specific guests or topics you want us to cover, let us know! Contact us at or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“The critical period of cover crop management: A framework for maximizing biomass potential and minimizing volunteers with buckwheat” with Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill Buckwheat can be a powerful driver of ecosystem services in potato rotations grown in Canada, but with its long-lived seeds and ability to make a whole lot of them in a short time, it can also pose a serious volunteer problem. In this episode, Andrew joins me to discuss how creating a framework to reduce volunteers can help keep this helpful plant from turning into a fearsome weed. Tune in to learn: ...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Within-family genomic selection in strawberry: optimization of marker density, trial design, and training set composition” with Dr. Joshua Sleper If plant breeding were a poker game, you’d have to play a lot of hands to beat the house. Quantitative genetics hopes to give players an advantage by recognizing patterns that can point to future success. In strawberry, a genetically complex and labor-intensive plant, this is particularly important. This episode, Joshua join me to discuss his work using quantitative genetics to help give strawberry breeders a hand. Tune in to learn: ...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Cereal Rye Biomass Effects on Giant Ragweed Suppression Inform Management Decisions” with Guilherme Chudzik and Rodrigo Werle. For farmers in the Midwest, giant ragweed can be a giant problem. In Wisconsin, where long emergence windows, aggressive growth, herbicide resistance, and power-packed seeds make suppression difficult, farmers are always looking for more hammers to hit this nasty nail on the head. In this episode, Guilherme and Rodrigo join me to discuss their work investigating cereal rye as an additional tool in this long-running fight. Tune in to learn: ...
info_outlineField, Lab, Earth
“Fifteen years of findings: Advancements in spring dead spot research from 2009 to 2024” with Dr. Wendell Hutchens Spring dead spot is a disease that lies in wait before going after your turfgrasses, transforming your favorite golf course into the set of your favorite PG-13 slasher. This episode, Wendell joins me to discuss the mega gains made in the last 15 years of spring dead spot research, in hopes that someday we can turn this slow-moving monster into just the stuff of legend. Tune in to learn: · What symptoms point to spring dead spot ...
info_outline“Can we simultaneously decontaminate and cultivate? An urban cherry tomato story” with Marie-Anne Viau and Dr. Adrian Paul
Contamination of various kinds can make it difficult to ensure healthy and safe food crops in urban agriculture. Phytoremediation is a strategy where we may be able to use plants’ incredible natural abilities to help with this problem. This episode, Marie-Anne and Adrian join me to discuss harnessing phytoremediation to help clean soils for tomato crops.
Tune in to learn:
· How phytoremediation works
· How researchers process contaminated plant material
· Whether phytoremediation can help boost soil health and yields
· How phytoremediation compares to other phytoremediation methods
If you would like more information about this topic, this episode’s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.20051
This paper is always freely available.
Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.
If you would like to reach out to Marie-Anne, you can find her here:
marieaviau@gmail.com
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marie-Anne-Viau
If you would like to reach out to Adrian, you can find him here:
adrian.paul@umontreal.ca
If you would like to reach out to Charanpreet Kaur from our Student Spotlight, you can find her here:
ckdhiman@udel.edu
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charanpreet-kaur-dhiman
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Cpk_Dhiman
Resources
The Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City: growing capacity, food security & green infrastructure: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268516292_The_Potential_for_Urban_Agriculture_in_New_York_City_growing_capacity_food_security_green_infrastructure
Carrot City: Creating Places for Urban Agriculture: https://www.torontomu.ca/carrotcity/book.html
Articles mentioned by Adrian:
“Beyond Cleansing: Ecosystem Services Related to Phytoremediation” article: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/5/1031
“Reclamation of urban brownfields through phytoremediation: Implications for building sustainable and resilient towns” article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866721003915
Coverage on research presented in English:
“Montreal researchers use willows to decontaminate polluted soil, groundwater” article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-researchers-use-willows-to-decontaminate-polluted-soil-groundwater-1.4672233
“Researchers are using plants to tackle urban pollution” article: https://universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/researchers-are-using-plants-to-tackle-urban-pollution/
“Where there's a willow, there's a way: City using saplings to decontaminate land” news story: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/where-there-s-a-willow-there-s-a-way-city-using-saplings-to-decontaminate-land-1.3947252
Research leader Michel Labrecque’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelPhyto
Plant Biology Research Institute Twitter: https://twitter.com/IRBV_Montreal
Website for research leader Michel Labrecque: https://irbv.umontreal.ca/le-personnel/michel-labrecque/
Urban Agriculture program at Collège Ahuntsic (French): https://www.collegeahuntsic.qc.ca/programmes-dec/techniques/agriculture-urbaine
Cultive ta Ville Montreal (French): https://cultivetaville.com/fr/cartes/montreal
Adrian mentions a plant with up to 25% of Ni, but it is 25% of Ni in the latex, not the sap. More information can be found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45398434
Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.