- Research how to remediate toxins in or around your home, business, or farm
- Gather statistically sound data on remediation practices
- Share findings with stakeholders
Current and past research projects
"Mycorrhizal Banks to Enhance Vegetable Yield and Reduce Water Quality Impairment by Mitigating Excessive Soil Phosphorus.", at DIggers' Mirth Farm in the Intervale 2021-2023. Our second field season started. Homegrown inoculant was gifted to Diggers' Mirth to apply. Here is our recently released guide on how to grow endemic mycorrhizae! Phase 2 of testing the endemic inoculum vs commercial vs none in the field is growing in the field! Read about our findings from year 1 here. And to read more about the study see this page. Check out our Final Report!
Mycorrhizally Enhanced Phytoremediation of Phosphorus (P) by Riparian Buffer Vegetation: a Mesocosm Study of Uptake and Leaching at UVM Greenhouse, 2021-2022. We investigate phosphorus plant efficiency and leaching in mesocosms with two riparian species, Black Willow and Red Osier Dogwood (Salix niger, Cornus sericea) grown with and without mycorrhizae, in low and high phosphorus soil. Data includes leachate P, plant uptake P, Mehlich-3 P, microbial functional community, and mycorrhizal counts. Soil is from two organic farms at the Intervale (one high & one low in P). Read more here Read our peer reviewed published findings: Effects of mycorrhizae, plants, and soils on phosphorus leaching and plant uptake: Lessons learned from a mesocosm study https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.10263
Mycoremediation of Phosphorus in Agricultural Runoff Harnessing Mycorrhizal-Plant Associations at Shelburne Farms. 2019-2023. This ecological restoration project aims to facilitate the recovery of a degraded riparian buffer between a farm and its watershed basin. Listen to this Marvin Science recording about 3 years of data.
Read more here on our peer reviewed published data from the first two years of this study: The effects of mycorrhizae on phosphorus mitigation & pollinator habitat restoration within riparian buffers on unceded land. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.13671 and here are more details. Update as of 11/23: we now have 4 years of scientific data in mycorrhizal counts, soil/waterhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1V0rhsaBtNd4efi3qJwIIE-gUx9xBmIspf5z5GRDYlqA/edit?usp=sharing/plant P, and plant diversity. We submitted this to a peer-reviewed journal and are waiting to hear if it was accepted. We applied for a grant to build on this successful proof of concept through using endemic mycorrhizae we grew from the farm, tripling the replicates, and increasing number of plants relevant to Abenaki in the palette. Our aim will be to inform Best Management Practices through gathering more robust data with refined strategies and methodologies.
Read more here on our peer reviewed published data from the first two years of this study: The effects of mycorrhizae on phosphorus mitigation & pollinator habitat restoration within riparian buffers on unceded land. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.13671 and here are more details. Update as of 11/23: we now have 4 years of scientific data in mycorrhizal counts, soil/waterhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1V0rhsaBtNd4efi3qJwIIE-gUx9xBmIspf5z5GRDYlqA/edit?usp=sharing/plant P, and plant diversity. We submitted this to a peer-reviewed journal and are waiting to hear if it was accepted. We applied for a grant to build on this successful proof of concept through using endemic mycorrhizae we grew from the farm, tripling the replicates, and increasing number of plants relevant to Abenaki in the palette. Our aim will be to inform Best Management Practices through gathering more robust data with refined strategies and methodologies.
Colchester Mycoremediation Pilot Project (4/19-6/20)
This project aimed to remediate both E.coli and phosphorus from a degraded tributary through saprophytic mycofiltration of logs, socks, and riparian buffer plantings; comparing treatments with and without mycorrhizal fungi.
THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED. FINAL REPORT IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Read more about the project here
This project aimed to remediate both E.coli and phosphorus from a degraded tributary through saprophytic mycofiltration of logs, socks, and riparian buffer plantings; comparing treatments with and without mycorrhizal fungi.
THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED. FINAL REPORT IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Read more about the project here
EPSCOR BREE: Mycoremediation Pilot for Watershed Restoration 2018 - 2019.
Objectives were to:
We found:
- Stropharia rugoso-amnulata did reduce E.coli #'s
- Both direct contact with SRA mats & enzyme exudates reduced E. coli #s
- Mycelial mats potentially mineralize and release Phosphorus
- Mycelial mats were potential nursery sites for other microbes
More lab research is needed before we would apply them to local hot spots.
Objectives were to:
- Assess how King/Queen Stropharia (Stropharia rugoso-annulata) fungi form mycelial mats.
- Gather quantitative data to determine if Stropharia rugoso-annulata (SRA) mycelial mats reduce CFU’s of E. coli in dairy effluent slurry.
- Determine if mycelial mats of SRA affect nutrient cycling.
We found:
- Stropharia rugoso-amnulata did reduce E.coli #'s
- Both direct contact with SRA mats & enzyme exudates reduced E. coli #s
- Mycelial mats potentially mineralize and release Phosphorus
- Mycelial mats were potential nursery sites for other microbes
More lab research is needed before we would apply them to local hot spots.
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