Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)

Curry Industries Ltd. in Winnipeg MB, has developed a prototype for a Cattail Bio-Platform Harvestingx000D
SystemTM that allows for the controlled growth of cattails on a floating frame in an aquatic system withx000D
elevated nutrients to allow for growth of this potential bioremediator in deeper waters. By encouraging thex000D
growth of cattails in these systems, nutrients are removed from the water column, thus reducing the availabilityx000D
of nutrients to other bloom-forming algal and cyanobacterial species. The cattails can then be harvested at thex000D
end of the growing season, and the biomass can be composted on land and used as fertilizer for gardens orx000D
cropland. The proposed ENGAGE grant will establish a collaborative research partnership between thex000D
applicant and Curry Industries, Ltd to determine the optimal seeding conditions to maximize cattail growth.x000D
The Bio-Platforms will be more easily scalable to deploy in large volumes if a reliable and simple method ofx000D
cattail seeding can be developed. In this study, we will determine the germination rates and ideal seed plantingx000D
density to maximize cattail germination and growth in the Bio-platforms.