Establishing Better Agroforestry Seedlings: Farmer Trials of Compost-Based Nursery Mixes and Plasma-Activated Water for Chestnut, Pecan, and Hazelnuts

Commodities

Practices

Farmers and ranchers who add trees often struggle with poor survival and slow establishment. When a planting has a low take rate, they end up paying for trees and labor twice and losing years of growth. For agroforestry to spread in our region, farmers need to see quick results in the field and feel that tree plantings work and are worth the investment.

As a business that establishes agroforestry systems, it is also important for the sustainability of our work to plant trees that survive, establish quickly, and thrive. Container-grown trees can extend the planting season and improve survival, but nearly all potting mixes rely on peat and plastic-coated synthetic fertilizers. These materials are expensive, shipped long distances, and are out of line with our values and with our clients, who are trying to build regenerative, low-input systems.

Additionally, new tools like plasma-activated water, sold as Green Lightning, offer an on-farm nitrogen source that might support nursery and field growth without relying only on fossil-fuel-based fertilizers. Our core problem is to determine whether we can grow strong, fibrous-rooted nut tree seedlings and improve field establishment using more local waste-based mixes and plasma-activated water instead of peat and plastic-coated fertilizers.

We will run two connected on-farm trials: a nursery trial focused on potting mix, fertilizer, and Green Lightning; and a field trial on Green Lightning in new and established agroforestry plantings. Together they test whether we can grow strong nut tree seedlings with finite and fossil fuel based materials (e.g., peat and plastic-coated fertilizer) and support trees in the field with an on-farm nitrogen source (Green Lightning).

Nursery trial (Drew's Nursery)
In our nursery, we will test three factors for chestnut and pecan seedlings in 1-gallon air-pruned containers:

Potting mix
• Standard mix (S): bark/peat-based Berger BM7-type mix.
• Waste-based mix (W): 60% screened composted horse bedding (pine shavings + manure), 30% coco coir, 10% rice hulls, plus a light lime adjustment.

Base fertilizer
• Manure (M): local pelletized manure at a consistent rate per pot.
• Osmocote-type (O): polymer-coated synthetic slow-release fertilizer at the labeled rate per pot.

Green Lightning
• No GL (N): irrigated with well water only.
• GL (G): irrigated with well water plus regular Green Lightning fertigations during active growth.

This creates eight treatment "recipes" per species (SMN, SMG, SON, SOG, WMN, WMG, WON, WOG). We will grow 20 trees per treatment per species (160 trees per species and 320 total) arranged in four replicated blocks, with five trees per treatment per block, randomized within benches. Seedlings will be started in common propagation trays, then randomly assigned to treatments at up-potting so the trial focuses on the 1-gallon phase.

Drew will record survival, height, stem diameter, leaf color, and vigor several times during the growing season. At the end of the season, he will wash roots from a subset of trees in each treatment to rate root density and branching, and track materials and labor costs per treatment to compare cost per saleable tree.

Field trial (Josh Payne - Rusted Plowshare Farms)

On Josh's farm we will test Green Lightning on newly planted and established trees. For newly planted trees, we will set up a replicated trial with 120 trees total: 60 chestnuts and 60 hazelnuts. For each species we will compare five treatments: control (no Green Lightning), D-2 (Green Lightning soil drench twice), D-4 (drench four times), F-2 (foliar twice), and F-4 (foliar four times). Each treatment has 12 trees per species. Trees will be planted in a silvopasture system grazed by sheep. All trees will receive the same planting, mulch, tree tube, and sheep protection (tree tubes plus an overpass system and offset wire); only the Green Lightning treatment will differ.

For established trees, Josh will select existing chestnut trees of similar age and vigor and randomly assign them to Green Lightning or control. The same drench versus foliar and 2 versus 4 application schedule will be followed where feasible. All other management will be the same.
Josh will record survival, height, stem diameter, leaf color, and vigor several times during the growing season data analysis.

Objectives
• Compare Standard Mix versus waste-based mix for chestnut and pecan seedling growth, foliage quality, and root system quality in 1-gallon air-prune pots.
• Compare pelletized manure and coated slow-release fertilizer for overall performance, cost per saleable tree, and peat/plastic footprint in the nursery.
• Test whether Green Lightning fertigation in the nursery measurably improves growth and plant quality on top of existing slow-release programs.
• Test whether Green Lightning drenches and foliar sprays improve survival and growth of newly planted trees and growth of established trees in agroforestry plantings.
• Share what has been learned through field days, conferences, and on-farm workshops.