Floating islands could help filter cattle feedlot storm ponds

May 13, 2025

Researchers at Olds College have found success removing excessive contaminants from feedlot storm ponds by using floating islands.

“If you’re not familiar with the islands at all, basically it’s an island constructed to grow plants on its surface,” said Dan Karran, principal investigator, ecohydrologist and instructor in the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College. He emphasized the data in this project is preliminary.

Karran and his team wanted to find out whether native wetland plants grown on the islands could clean water in cattle feedlot ponds. Floating islands, which are four feet by eight feet, are started on peat moss, but the root system develops into the water body.

“In a lot of ways, it’s kind of like hydroponics,” said Karran.

The plant roots take up nutrients and other contaminants from the water. Floating islands are patented technology created by Tannas Conservation Services, who were working with Olds College on other projects. The islands are an environmentally-friendly, natural technology powered by sunlight.

Click here to see more...

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.