NIASA and EcoHort Certification

The Alpine Alstonville Nursery is now accredited under the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme (NIASA) and certified under the EcoHort Environment Management System.

By voluntarily participating in the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme and achieving accreditation, Alpine Alstonville agrees to follow the specific guidelines of the scheme and implement the aims of NIASA, one of which is the use of environmentally sound work practices which covers the areas of Crop Hygiene, Crop Management and Site Management. The design features of the Alstonville nursery have always assumed that it would comply with the NIASA Accreditation principles but it still needed to satisfy the rigorous standards for the accreditation.

Attaining EcoHort status is another proud achievement for the nursery. EcoHort is an Industry specific Environmetal Management System that is particularly directed at the Nursery Industry and requires a plan, implement, check and review discipline to enable environmental performance to be continually improved. This discipline includes adopting a biological control ethos, with the aim being to produce a balance within the nursery that is self-perpetuating and using a number of environmentally sound schemes such as an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program and a ‘safe spray’ program.  Beneficial insects, such as predatory mites are used to control pests, and organic sprays are sprayed onto plants to kill insect larvae.

The Biological Control program implemented at Alpine Alstonville also includes maintaining sound water management practices and there is a comprehensive water testing regime in place with continuous monitoring of water quality to avoid problems arising. Submersible aspiration aeration units have also been installed for the aeration/oxygenation of all water bodies.

Another important aspect of the Environment Management System is the analysis and implementation of improving the nutritional requirements of the plants. The goal is to avoid the leaching of nutrients from the soil media and ensuring that the plants are ‘harvesting’ available nourishment. The aim is to maximize the benefits of the nutrients and minimize losses into the environment.

Alpine Nurseries Alstonville is committed to search for ways to continuously improve environmental performance problems can be mitigated before the event rather than taking corrective action after the event.