Accredition

 

Nursery Industry Accreditation (NIA)

EMS is accredited through the Nursery and Garden Centre Accreditation Scheme and adopts systems and processes in line with best practice recommendations from the Nursery Industry Association.

 

EMS adopts a minimum use pesticide application program for insecticides (spray as required); however fungicides are applied routinely to prevent the establishment of fungal pathogens. Pesticide applications are determined using integrated pest management strategies to reduce the risk of resistant pathogens developing within the nursery (e.g. Rotation of pesticide types within a treatment cycle).

 

Greenstock is kept weed free through the controlled use of pre emergent pesticides with follow-up hand weeding as required. Perimeter weed control strategies are in place to reduce contamination from non-propagation areas of the nursery.

Environmental Management

Pest Management - EMS runs an integrated pest management program (IPM) to reduce the reliance on pesticides, and pesticides are only employed on an as needed basis to reduce the impacts on the surrounding environment.

Water Management – The EMS watering program is designed to comply with best practice in relation to water usage. Specifically, water is applied as infrequently as possible, and times are set for individual crops to ensure run off is kept to a minimum, ensuring efficient use and low levels of fertiliser run-off. Watering is also conducted in the early morning and evenings when possible to reduce losses to evaporation.

 

Waste Management – All used soil is returned to land fill to reduce the impacts of potential disease outbreaks. Soil is returned clean in order that it can be used as clean fill.

 

Recycling – EMS actively recycles plastic pots and trays. All re-used pots are disinfected to eliminate vectors for disease spread.

 

Seed and propagule collection – EMS only uses seed and material from licensed suppliers to limit the potential for the unlawful collection of material from sensitive areas. In most cases EMS vegetative propagation is conducted in-house to ensure that native bushland is not disturbed (the variation to this rule is where there is a requirement to collect endemic material and that collection is fully authorised).

 

 

 

 

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