U of R begins pesticide research study

REGINA — A group of university professors, high school students and teachers are hoping that a new research project will lead to the reduction, and ideally elimination, of pesticide use on the University of Regina campus.

“I would like to eliminate them because any pesticides that we have on our landscape here at U of R, they’re tracked into the university and then they’re circulated,” said Tanya Dahms, a professor of biochemistry at the university.

On Saturday, students from Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School and university staff began collecting data — such as plant species diversity, insect counts and soil composition — from two plots of grass measuring 100 cm by 50 cm in the academic green area behind the Kinesiology Building.

One of the plots will be treated with pesticides whereas the test plot will be treated naturally through a plant health care model.

That alternative model involves spraying the plot with compose tea and reintroducing bacteria into the soil. Pesticides reduce bacteria in the soil, which is vital for healthy soil structure and decomposing plants so nutrients can be released into the soil.

“WE’RE ALL ACTING AS SCIENTISTS ALL TOGETHER. SO, CLEARLY, WHAT MORE DOES A SCIENCE TEACHER WANT FOR HER

KIDS?”

HEATHER HAYNES

The test plot will also be mowed less and not as short as the rest of the lawn. Cutting grass short contributes to weed development, Dahms explained.

In the fall, data will be collected again from the plots and compared to Saturday’s baseline results in order to form a comparison.

Dahms wants to see the research expanded into more plots for study so eventually researchers will be in a position to recommend the natural care model to university administrators as the normal practice for lawn care.

One of the drawbacks is that the plant care model can be more costly than pesticide use because additional labour is required to pull weeds.

For Heather Haynes, the research project is a great opportunity for 14 of her science students to get handson experience in the field and in the lab.

“This is inquiry learning at its finest. We have a hypothesis, we have the tools and we have our brains. Let’s put them all together and let’s see if we can find out some answers,” said Haynes, a teacher at Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School.

“Nobody who is working on this research team — whether you’re a professor or a teacher or student — knows what the outcome is going to be,” she said.

“It’s science. We’re all acting as scientists all together. So, clearly, what more does a science teacher want for her kids?”