Pulp mill sludges dramatically increase crop and wood production...

ARC's groundbreaking work on land application of mechanical pulp and paper mill sludges continues to produce impressive results. Farmland treated with sludges has produced crop yield increases form two to five times greater than control land for at least six growing seasons. 

ARC is currently investigating whether the sludges can economically replace commercial fertilizers to achieve target yield. Demand for the sludge has made it necessary for farmers to stockpile it in the fields over the winter to ensure availability for spring seeding. ARC is also studying the use of pulp mill sludges for forest regeneration. 

White spruce and pine seedlings planted with sludge treatment have produced two to three times the volume of wood produced by controls over the past six years and achieved Alberta's regeneration standards on to three years sooner than the controls. Current studies are aimed at developing forest management strategies using sludges to maximize wood production.

Reproduced from ARC 1999 Annual Report with permission from the Alberta Research Council.