Nursery crop production in the U.S. has been
well established for more than 100 years.
Container production of nursery crops began in the 1950’s and since then
the acreage has continued to increase.
Today, ornamental crop production is among the fastest growing sectors
of agriculture. Along with the rapid growth of the nursery industry, production
methods are in transition from field production to container culture, with
container production currently representing about 60% of the industry.
The 2007 Census of Agriculture counted 54,
889 farms classified as primarily horticultural operations. The economic impact
of the U.S. Green Industry in 2007-2008 was estimated at $176 billion as
compared to $147.8 billion in 2002. Overall cash receipts for nursery and
greenhouse production was over $16.6 billion in 2007, up from $13.8 billion in
2002. Sales of woody nursery crops alone increased from $3.97 billion to $6.6
billion from 2003 to 2007. This reflects a steady growth in the nursery
industry. The USDA is preparing to mail the 2012 Census of Agriculture to U.S.
farmers in late December. Data will be collected into early 2013 and the
results will be published in early 2014.
The horticulture industry is highly diverse
in terms of production practices and materials grown, with over 390 genera and
more than 2000 species of ornamentals produced in the U.S. It is estimated that total production acreage
in the U.S. is 981,625. Compared to other agricultural operations, nursery
operations have fewer acres but yield higher sales per acre.
Growing plants in containers is a unique production
system compared to growing plants in native field soil. Container plants are grown in soilless
substrates (media) that contain a limited amount of water, retain small
quantities of nutrients, and confine the roots in a limited volume. Consequently, production inputs such as
irrigation, fertilization, and pest control require precise and properly timed
applications in quantities that result in maximum benefit. Thus, the opportunity exists to make sure the
best possible management strategies or Best Management Practices (BMPs) are
used, recognizing the site-specific nature of nursery production
facilities. BMPs can be defined as
schedules of activities, prohibitions, maintenance procedures, and structural
or other management practices found to be the most effective and practicable to
prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants to the air or waters of the
United States. Best Management Practices
also include operating procedures, and practices to control site runoff, ground
water contamination, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage
from raw material storage. Thus, BMPs
can conserve and protect water resources from adverse environmental impacts
that might result from cultural practices used to produce plants. BMPs are site specific and menu driven, thus
not all will be implemented, but as many as possible should be incorporated
into the production system whether plants are produced in native soils or
soilless container substrates. BMPs provide
uniform production guidelines regardless of nursery acreage or location.
Most, or some segment of the production
management and cultural practices used in the nursery could be modified to
ensure that nursery operators are producing plants using environmentally
conscious practices. However, this guide
will focus on production practices that impact water quality because the
southeast nursery industry representatives identified these as needing
modifications or guidelines due to imminent environmental concerns.
The purpose of this guide is threefold:
- Establish
a document that puts in writing many BMPs already in place at nurseries.
- Establish
a site-specific menu of management practices that can be implemented regardless
of nursery size or location.
- Promote
environmental stewardship among plant producers.
The guide is divided into subtopics dealing
with specific production practices. Within a specific subtopic, BMPs are
identified in short simple statements with a symbol (see below). The BMPs are
research-based where definitive information is available; otherwise the best
judgment available was used to structure a BMP. References and a glossary are
provided. Bold green words are defined
in the glossary. EPA, USDA, state regulatory personnel, and nursery industry
representatives have reviewed the guide. As new information is obtained, the
guide will be revised.