Phosphorus and potassium levels remain unchanged from pre-CRP levels, regardless of tillage. Don't burn off CRP biomass, says Byrnes. Burning causes loss of nutrients such as nitrogen and sulfur, as well as complicates weed control timing. Phyoremediation - the use of plants to clean up sites contaminated by toxic waste, is being used as opposed to conventional methods. Heavy metals, such as lead, are being removed from soil by plants.
Tolerant plants absorb the metal during growth and then is removed when plant material is harvested.
The process takes more time savings of financial and natural resources offset the time involved. Mustard greens and pumpkin vines are being used to clean an old Magic Marker factory site in Trenton, New Jersey, by Phytotech, an NJ-based company that pioneered the use of plants for this purpose. Lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc, copper and selenium. Runoff from airplane de-icing agents. Fertilizer spills- special alfalfa varieties that absorb nitrogen from ground and not air.