In the quest for sustainable farming, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is making significant strides with the introduction of biobeds on Nova Scotia farms. This novel approach aims to address the environmental challenges posed by pesticide rinsate — the contaminated water resulting from cleaning crop spraying equipment.
The journey began with AAFC scientists laying the groundwork in Prairie ecosystems. Dr. Erin Smith from the Kentville Research and Development Centre and Dr. Tobias Laengle, a biologist from the St. John’s Research and Development Centre, are at the forefront of this research. They're exploring on-farm biobeds, focusing on data collection in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
A pioneering step has been the establishment of the first commercial on-farm biobed in Atlantic Canada, located on a Truro, Nova Scotia farm. This farm, dealing with substantial amounts of sprayer tank rinsate, serves as an ideal testing ground for biobed technology.
The Truro biobed system includes two large wooden pallet containers linked in tandem, fed from a concrete collection pad. It incorporates a silt trap and a custom biomix, consisting of soil, peat moss/straw, and wood chips, for filtering and adsorbing pesticides.
The results so far have been remarkable. Dr. Smith reports, “The filtration through the first biobed unit is achieving 85% to 87% removal of pesticides and up to 99% removal in the second biobed.” This promising outcome has set a precedent for the use of biobeds in various conditions across Atlantic Canada.
The ongoing research involves fine-tuning flow requirements and management for long-term operation. By analyzing water rinsate and outflows, Dr. Smith's team is assessing the operational capabilities for different types of pesticides. This on-farm biobed also serves as a demonstration site, educating producers on the system's functionality and benefits.
Dr. Smith expresses her satisfaction with the progress: “I am very happy with the results we are seeing with the biobeds. With almost complete removal of the pesticides, these systems are proving to be an excellent tool to help prevent chemicals from entering the environment. I hope these positive results will encourage more producers to adopt these systems.”
The AAFC's biobed system, capable of managing various pesticides, holds great potential for adoption by farmers nationwide.