Another future for hydro ways sediments

This study reports the preliminary results of the project Life + Cleansed, which aims to assess the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing, in order to reduce the use of agricultural land to recover the soil loss due to plant digging when they have to be sold. Sediments from the Navicelli hydro-way in Tuscany, Italy have been remediated through the low-cost Agriport technology, based on phytoremediation and land farming. Afterwards, decontaminated sediments have been brought at the Centre for Experimental Plant Nursing (Ce.Spe.Vi.), in the most important Italian district for plant nursing, Pistoia province about 60 km northward. Decontaminated sediments have been mixed with agricultural soil (33% and 50% vol/vol) and they were compared to agricultural soil (control). Physical-hydraulic properties but also growth and biomass production of three ornamental evergreen shrub species were monitored during the first year project, in summer 2014. The preliminary results demonstrate that sediments improve water infiltration and retention and ensure good performance and aesthetic appearance of all the selected species, though they may impair the root ball compaction.