How Can We Use Wildflowers and Compost Improve Our Best Management Practices for Disturbed Soils?

Presentation Description : How can we effectively use compost and wildflowers to improve soil function in disturbed soils? This presentation will cover several field experiments using wildflowers and compost in disturbed soils, and explore what was found to be effective. A multitude of soil properties were measured in these experiments. Soil infiltration and water quality basics will be covered. Participants will learn the benefit of using compost and wildflowers, and where they are most effective to improve disturbed soil.

Full Presentation Abstract: Most erosion control practices are intended to slow runoff and allow sediment to settle out of runoff. Managing stormwater to reduce volumes and peak flows are important goals to minimize the impact on receiving waters. Vegetation is an important element of roadside stormwater control measures, as vegetation can reduce erosion and runoff long-term. While grass is the typical vegetation along highways, wildflowers could be planted instead of grass to reduce maintenance and create better pollinator habitat. Field-based studies were used in three regions of North Carolina to evaluate the soil potential improvements through the use of tillage together with compost and either grass or wildflowers. A subset of plots had a tractor drive over the plots to see how treatments responded to compaction. Plots planted in wildflowers tended to have higher infiltration (30-43% increase) compared to grass across. Compost application also enhanced the infiltration rate (46-50% increase) in two locations. Tractor traffic substantially reduced infiltration rates but there was some evidence of recovery in the compost-amended wildflower plots. Wildflowers plots generally had higher infiltration rates and lower maintenance requirements compared to grass plots. This makes wildflowers a viable alternative to grass in vegetated stormwater practices. This study demonstrated the ability of wildflowers and compost to improve some soil properties, which make them a useful to traditional practices.