Farms.com Home  › News

Researchers Seek to Develop New Tools to Remove PFAS from Agricultural Soil and Nearby Groundwater via The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin

For years, Wisconsin farmers have applied biosolids—a byproduct of wastewater management — to their fields. The process reduces the need for commercial fertilizers, conditions the soil, and reduces the amount of biosolids going into a landfill.

Unfortunately, biosolids may be a major source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These hazardous chemicals are used widely in household products and manufacturing, and they accumulate in biosolids.

Is Biochar a Solution to PFAS Leaching?

Five years ago, UW-Green Bay faculty began investigating whether land application of biosolids would result in PFAS leaching into groundwater. They received funding from the Freshwater Collaborative to partner with faculty and students from UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point to investigate the issue.

Source : uwgb.edu

Trending Video

Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

Video: Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

If you assumed Nebraska was too hot and dry for white mold to be a problem in soybeans, think again.

This week we're featuring Galen Samuelson, a farmer and dealer from Wakefield, Nebraska, who knows all too well how devastating white mold can be.

"We don't have it consistently every year, but with our temperature and humidity, it can hurt us quite bad," Samuelson says. Looking for alternatives, he explains, "What I like about Heads Up is that it's non-harmful to the beneficial fungal colonies in the soil." Galen has been using Heads Up for several years now, after first hearing about it through a small ad in a regional newspaper. Watch below to hear about his journey.

When asked to write about Samuelson Seed, Galen said the following:

"Samuelson Seed is a 4th-generation, family-based company. It started with my grandfather, and I'm now starting to pass the torch to my son, Caleb."

"In the early 1990s, I started working with a company whose focus was on plant and soil health before those benefits were widely known. I've continued to keep plant and soil health the main focus in our farming operation decisions."