Determining the environmental benefits and socio-economical feasibility of a new type of riparian buffer

农业土壤的排水是加拿大可耕地低地特有的广泛沟渠和溪流网络的土壤有机物质、农药和肥料的主要来源。保护水生生境的生态完整性和水资源的质量是现代农业目前面临的一项重大挑战。在这个项目中，我们打算确定一个绿色解决方案技术的能力，有效地减少农业负荷到邻近的水生系统，并证明这种技术可以盈利。也就是说，我们选择测试狭窄但密集的河岸缓冲带（RBS）的生物过滤潜力种植快速生长的杨柳克隆，这是削减每三年产生生物能源原料。沿着与我们的社会经济合作伙伴的合作，我们在2009年春天在圣劳伦斯河的北岸建立了两套实验RBS，种植了杨柳克隆S。miyabeana SX 64的密度为15.000或30.000茎/公顷。从2011年到2013年，我们的农民合作伙伴将在试验田轮流种植玉米和大豆，并像往常一样使用农用化学品。为了比较的目的，每个实验显示包括没有RBS的耕作土壤和由混合物种的树木组成的传统RBS。为了确定实验杨柳RBS拦截农业负荷到水生系统的效率，我们将在离河岸一定距离处用取样器对土壤进行取样，并用蒸渗仪和表面收集器对溶解和颗粒通量进行取样。我们将使用特定的综合代理，以进一步了解农业扩散污染的动力学和环境影响，即陆源生物标志物和蓝藻bioessays。在短期内，我们的项目将有助于证明拟议的绿色解决方案技术的可持续性以及其大规模社会接受的条件。从长远来看，与我们的研究伙伴的合作扩展到地区，省和联邦利益相关者将有助于宣传和推广一种新的选择，为综合管理谷物农业。

The drainage of agricultural soils represents a major source of soil organic matter, pesticides and fertilizers to the extensive networks of ditches and streams characteristic of the Canadian arable lowlands. Protecting the ecological integrity of aquatic habitats and the quality of water resources represents a paramount challenge to which modern agriculture is currently faced. In this project, we intend to determine the ability of a green solution technique to efficiently reduce agricultural loadings to adjacent aquatic systems and to demonstrate that this technique can be profitable. Namely, we chose to test the biofiltration potential of narrow but dense riparian buffer strips (RBS) planted with fast growing willow clones, which are cut down every three years to generate bioenergy feedstock. Along with the collaboration of our socioeconomic partners, we established during the spring of 2009 on the North Shore of the St Lawrence River two sets of experimental RBS planted with the willow clone S. miyabeana SX64 with densities of either 15.000 or 30.000 stems/ha. From 2011 to 2013, our farmers partners will plant maize and soy in rotation in the experimental fields and apply their agro-chemicals as they normally do. For comparison purposes, each experimental display includes cultivated soils without RBS and with traditional RBS composed of trees of mixed species. In order to determine the efficiency of the experimental willow RBS to intercept agricultural loadings to aquatic systems, we will be sampling soils with a corer at a certain distance from the banks as well as dissolved and particulate fluxes with lysimeters and surface collectors. We will use particular integrative proxies to further our understanding of the dynamics and environmental impacts of agricultural diffuse pollution i.e. terrigenous biomarkers and cyanobacterial bioessays. In the short term, our project will contribute to demonstrate the sustainability of the proposed green solution technique as well as the conditions for its large scale social acceptance. In the long term, the collaboration with our research partners extended to regional, provincial and federal stakeholders will contribute to publicize and popularize a new option for an integrated management of cereal farming.