Investigating the impact of Eco-Tea on grape production and vineyard soil

欧华顿环境企业有限公司(OEE)是一家专注于应用生态和开发可持续景观管理实践和产品的公司。OEE努力的主要举措之一是减少对化肥和杀虫剂的要求，以提高土壤健康。作为这一倡议的结果，OEE开发了一种环境友好的100%有机堆肥茶，称为生态茶。尽管有许多关于该产品对土壤微生物群落变化和产量增加的积极证明，但缺乏关于生态茶的益处的科学证据，特别是与葡萄种植业有关的益处。因此，新斯科舍社区学院(NSCC)将与OEE合作进行田间试验，以调查生态茶对葡萄园土壤微生物群落组成以及葡萄生长、产量和质量的影响。预计项目结果将提供概念证据，证明添加生态茶对提高土壤微生物群落和葡萄产量具有积极的好处。项目成果将与其他地区葡萄园分享，为在该省运营的更广泛的葡萄种植业提供额外的省级利益。此外，对生态茶应用的评估通过将其用于加拿大各地的葡萄园，在全国范围内提供了潜在的长期好处。此外，生态茶商业活动的经济和社会效益将为OEE带来新的资本投资、就业机会和收入来源。

Overton Environmental Enterprises Inc (OEE) is a company focused on applied ecology and developing sustainable landscape management practices and products. One of the main initiatives OEE strives for is to reduce the requirements on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase soil health. As a result of this initiative, OEE developed an environmentally friendly 100% organic compost tea, called Eco-Tea. Despite the numerous positive testimonials relating to this product to soil microbial community change and increases in yield, there is a lack of scientific proof of the benefits of Eco-Tea, in particular relating to the grape growing industry. Thus, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) will partner with OEE to run field trials to investigate the impact Eco-Tea has on the vineyard soil microbial community composition, as well as grape growth, yield, and quality. It is anticipated that project results will provide proof of concept that the addition of Eco-Tea has positive benefits for enhancing soil microbial community and grape production. Project results will be shared with other regional vineyards, providing additional provincial benefits to the wider grape growing industry operating in the province. Furthermore, evaluation of the application of Eco-Tea offers potential longer term benefits nationally through its use to vineyards located across Canada. In addition, the economic and social benefit of Eco-Tea commercial activities will result in new capital investments, employment opportunities and revenue streams for OEE.