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Cover Crops Application for Improved Soil Health for Tree Nurseries

IDENTIFYING SPECIES BLENDS AND APPLICATION METHODS FOR NURSERIES

SEPTEMBER 2020

The Collins River watershed is home to the tree nursery capitol of the world, McMinnville, TN. The city and its surrounding area hold this title for the concentration of over 300 nursery farms in the area that have thrived for more than a century due to the geographic features of the area. These nurseries ship Tennessee grown trees and plants across the United States as well as to our very own Root Nashville planting effort!

The Cumberland River Compact is working with the Warren County Soil Conservation District as well as the Tennessee State University Nursery Research Center to look at the impacts of cover crops applied in the nursery setting.

Cover crop recommendations at the end of this project will help to reduce soil erosion, infiltrate water, and replenish nutrients in the soil.

This project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.