Determination of Optimal Fertilizer Formulation to Improve Root Strength and Connectivity for Plant-Based Infrastructure

帮助自然愈合（HNH）是一家总部位于布里奇沃特的加拿大生态景观公司，自2004年以来，该公司将环境和可持续性科学结合起来，更新和恢复退化，受损或被破坏的生态系统和栖息地。HNH还为园林绿化和园艺提供多方面的咨询服务，包括森林管理、侵蚀管理、栖息地创造和食用景观。考虑到加拿大各地土壤侵蚀的破坏性影响，HNH制定了重要的战略，通过实施以植物为基础的系统，可以帮助将侵蚀率降低98%。本研究的总体目标是确定最佳肥力制度，以改善植物根系生长及其宏观和微观尺度特性。生育制度包括营养来源、微生物肥料配方（增加生长素释放）、真菌菌落的实施以及处理的时机。该项目将包括确定最佳生育配方和施用时间；测定根系宏观和微观性状；微生物肥料促进植物根系生长潜力评价并评估菌根真菌增加植物根系与土壤之间连通性的潜力。随着以植物为基础的土壤侵蚀预防方法的发展，该拟议项目将在加拿大具有环境和经济效益。开发防止土壤侵蚀的新技术可以帮助减少房主因土壤侵蚀而遭受的经济损失。此外，防止土壤侵蚀将减少每年因土壤侵蚀而损失的作物百分比，从而使加拿大农民受益。加拿大的自然环境将受益于拟议的方法，因为它们具有较低的生态影响，可以改善土壤完整性。总的来说，这种以植物为基础的方法比建造海堤更具成本效益和可持续性。

Helping Nature Heal (HNH) based in Bridgewater NS, is a Canadian ecological landscaping company that combines environmental and sustainability science to renew and restore degraded, damaged, or destroyedecosystems and habitats since 2004. HNH also provides consultation services for many aspects of landscaping and gardening, including forest stewardship, erosion management, habitat creation, and edible landscaping. Concerned by the devastating impact of soil erosion across Canada, HNH has developed significant strategies that can help to slow the rate of erosion by 98% by implementing plant-based systems. The overall objective of this proposed study is to determine the optimum fertility regime(s) to improve plant root growth and its macro and micro scale properties. Fertility regimes include nutrient source, formulation with microbial fertilizers (increasing the auxins liberation), implementation of fungi colonies as well as timing of treatments. The project will involve determining optimal fertility formulation and application timing; determining root macro and micro scale properties; evaluating the potential of microbial fertilizers to improve plant root growth; and evaluating the potential of mycorrhizal fungi to increase the connectivity between plant roots and soil. This proposed project will have both environmental and economic benefits in Canada with the development of plant-based methods of soil erosion prevention. Developing new techniques for soil erosion prevention can aid in decreasing monetary losses that homeowners experience due to soil erosion. In addition, soil erosion prevention will benefit Canadian farmers by reducing the percentage of crops annually lost to soil erosion. Canada's natural environments will benefit from the proposed methods as they have a lower ecological impact and can improve soil integrity. Overall, this plant-based approach is more cost-effective and sustainable than the construction of seawalls.