16 willow varieties on trial in the North (ArcelorMittal)

Context

The Mont-Wright site presents conditions typical of mining environments:

• mineralized soils
• storage area with no organic soil
• northern climate conditions

Conventional approaches rely on importing organic material for restoration purposes. Fast-growing willow is an attractive avenue for on-site biomass production, creating substrate for the site's progressive restoration. The project's goal was to:

• demonstrate the feasibility of revegetating with fast-growing willows
• reduce dependence on external inputs

The solution implemented

Ramo established a varietal trial of fast-growing willows in partnership with ArcelorMittal at the Mont-Wright mine.

Objectives:

• identify the varieties best suited to the northern mining context
• assess their behaviour in real conditions
• validate the potential for planting at a larger scale

Setup:

• multi-variety planting
• structured agronomic monitoring
• soil preparation with organic amendment

Varietal trial after one year (willows growing on mineralized soil in northern conditions, ArcelorMittal's Mont-Wright mine, Fermont).

Results and performance

Varietal selection

• marked performance differences between the varieties tested
• identification of variety groups suited to the northern climate

Establishment

• successful establishment of a vegetation cover in challenging conditions
• demonstration of the potential of willows as a pioneer species

Willows planted at Mont-Wright (northern mining context, ArcelorMittal, Fermont).

Customer testimonial

Co-benefits