Wastewater could boost native plant growth, study shows

Wastewater could boost native plant growth, study shows
Duvauchelle on the Banks Peninsula, where researchers set up a field trial of 11 species. (Image: Getty)
Greg Hurrell
Treated wastewater could be used to boost native plant regeneration instead of being discharged into water bodies, a newly completed research project has found.As well as diverting wastewater from waterways, it also raised the prospect of irrigating native plantations for commercial use. However, the results showed that wastewater irrigation was ineffective on native plants that were adapted for poor soils.The research was funded by the Christchurch City Council, along with the Centre for Integrated Biowaste Research, and the Ministry of Busine...

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