Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Jason Henry, M.Sc.
September 27, 2016
Greening Canada’s Highways
Vineland Research and Innovation
• Typical lifespan of a tree along a roadside is
5–10 years
• To obtain the maximum ecological benefit, the
tree must reach full canopy
– Typically around 20–30 years
Tree survival in unmaintained areas
• In 2008, the project initiated looking at
production practices
• In 2013, the project changed direction, looking
at site preparation before planting
• In 2014, the project expanded to include sites
in Alberta
• In 2015, with a total of 13 sites, interest from a
variety of municipalities and organizations
Greening Canada’s Highways
Project Timeline
Greening Canada’s Highways
Ontario
13 Ontario research sites
Highway of Heroes
New specifications for the MTO
Planting recommendations for 35 species
• Road salt
• Drought/ no irrigation
• Pollution
• Species selection
• Soil compaction
Major Drivers for Tree Morality
.hort.ufl.edu/woody/root-defects16.shtml
Natural Soil Profiles
Forest Soil ProfileTypical Soil Profile
O – Organic Materials
A – Topsoil
B – Subsoil
C –Weather Rock
R – Rock http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pages/124
Urban Soil Profiles
http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5410517
The Goal
Speeding up the Primary Succession Process
www.cruickshankgroup.com
www.forestryimages.org http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pages/124
www.globe-views.com
The Middle
• Kick start the soil
• De-compact soil
• Add organic matter
to soil
Highway Soil Bulk Density vs Forest BD
Ontario findings
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bd
(g c
m-3
)
Organic Matter (%)
HighwaySoil
Site Results
• Poor growth
• Poor survival
• Low available moisture
• Soil erosion
“Standard Practice” planting trial
• Highly compacted , fine silt and clay soils
• Low amount of organic matter
Forest data provided by Trent University
• Compromise – reducing tree stress without significantly
increasing costs
• How much remediation is required at a highway site?
Soil Remediation
Compromising to Allow Trees to Survive and Grow
• Soil remediation
– Deep-ripping to a depth of 90 cm
– Addition of organic amendment (municipal compost)
– Mixing of the amendment to a depth of 30 cm with a rotary spader
Soil Remediation Trial
2014 Trial
Treatment Methods
1 Control
2 OA (High) in PH
3 Deep-Ripping
4 Deep-Ripping + OA (Low)
5 Deep-Ripping + OA (Medium)
6 Deep-Ripping + OA (High)
* OA – Organic Amendment
* PH – Planting Hole
Building a healthier soil
Deep-ripping Addition of Organic Amendment Rotary Spader
Compaction versus Remediation
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 1 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 1 - 0-30 cm
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 2 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 2 - 0-30 cm
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 3 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 3 - 0-30 cm
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 4 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 4 - 0-30 cm
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 5 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 5 - 0-30 cm
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk
Density (
g c
m-3
)
Loss-on-Ignition (%)
Forest Soil
2014 Treatment 6 - 0-30 cm
2015 Treatment 6 - 0-30 cm
T1: Control/Standard planting practice
T2: Excavate and backfill with amended soil
T3: Deep-ripping 0 % compost
T4: Deep-ripping plus 10 % compost
T5: Deep-ripping plus 25 % compost
T6: Deep-ripping plus 50 % compost
Control
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 1.45
20-30 1.71
40-50 1.61
Growth 7.6 cm
Organics in PH
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 1.30
20-30 1.48
40-50 1.72
Growth 18.1 cm
Deep-ripping + 0%
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 1.59
20-30 1.71
40-50 1.85
Growth 13.8 cm
Deep-ripping + 10%
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 1.32
20-30 1.42
40-50 1.64
Growth 25.0 cm
Deep-ripping + 25 %
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 1.17
20-30 1.30
40-50 1.53
Growth 44.6 cm
Deep-ripping + 50 %
Depth Bulk Density
0-10 0.66
20-30 1.21
40-50 1.52
Growth 38.5 cm
2016 Drought: Stress Responses
Chlorophyll Content
5
10
15
20
25
30
24-Jun 06-Jul 22-Jul 09-Aug 29-Aug 09-Sep
SPA
D U
NIT
S
Control
Pit + 50 % Compost
Deep-ripping + 0% Compost
Deep-ripping + 10% Compost
Deep-ripping + 25% Compost
Deep-ripping + 50% Compost
July Precipitation
36 mm
August Precipitation
75 mm
Conclusions to date
• Soil remediation using composted material improves
tree survival
– critical two-yr post-transplant window
– Reduces tree stress in drought
• Tree establishment is improved
– Improved tree growth
• Long-term impact of improved soil management
practices in urban landscaping activities
– Biomass cycling, rate of degradation of organic matter,
stability of bulk density levels over time through the soil
profile
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture
Alliance (COHA) research and innovation cluster and is funded in part
through the AgriInnovation Program under Growing Forward 2 (GF2). GF2
is a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation
Council assists COHA in the delivery of this research and innovation
cluster.
Partners
Thank you to our partners!
Alberta Ministry of
Transportation
Alberta Newsprint Company
City of Airdrie
City of Calgary
City of Edmonton
City of London
Landscape Alberta Nursery
Trades Association
Landscape Ontario
Sheridan Nurseries
Terratec Environmental Ltd.
The Ontario Ministry of
Transportation
Uxbridge Nurseries
Veteran’s Memorial Parkway
Community Program
Walker Environmental Inc.
Walker Industry Holding Ltd.
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