Soil amendment field trials using recycled organics

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building attractive, environmentally and
economically sustainable landscapes
Soil amendment field trials using recycled
organics Katrina Walton
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Coastal Plain Soils
very sandy usually acidic well drained low
water holding capacity very low nutrient
contents poorly buffered tend to become
hydrophobic
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Case Study No.1
Encouraging the Golf Industry to Take Strategic
Waste Initiatives A Case Study Soil
amendment field trials on four Perth golf courses
Reduce Re-Use Recycle
Katrina Walton Dave Allen Dale and Associates

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Project Objectives
Two Parts

• Fairway Demonstration Trials 4 courses

• Scientific Trial Controlled Conditions Field
  Trial

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• Questionnaire - 54 courses invited

• Course selection - 13

• Free soil and turf testing - greens, fairways,
  tees, rough and water test

• Superintendents interviewed - management
  practices and/or issues problems

• Test Reports Issued

• Full day workshop held

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Typical Soil Amendments / Improvers
natural clays gypsum green waste compost
zeolites Commercial and premium
compost Bio-solids Animal manures Biochar
soil conditioners Soil wetting agents fly
red mud residue sand
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Organic Amendments
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Inorganic Amendments
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Demonstration Trials
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YANCHEP
WANNEROO
40km (approx)
MIDLAND
Perth City
ROCKINGHAM
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Sea View Golf Course (Private) Cottesloe
Fairway Soil Analysis salinity low slightly
alkaline (pH 7.2) low silt clay (1.5) high
organic matter (thatch over 100 years) strongly
hydrophobic (water repellent) good nutrient
balance
Soil Amendments Requirements material with high
fines to boost silt and clay contents, increasing
water holding capacity and reducing
hydrophobicity an acidic to neutral reaction to
offset the natural alkalinity of the soil and
irrigation water
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Marri Park Golf Course (Public) Casuarina
Fairway Soil Analysis salinity low slightly
acidic (pH 6.2), soils in rough strongly acidic
(pH 4.6) moderate silt (2 - 3) clay (1.5 2
) very high organic matter (thatch) moderately
hydrophobic (water repellent) very good nutrient
balance, low Mn low Phosphorus Retention Index
(PRI) in conjunction with high levels of plant
aval.P
Soil Amendments Requirements material with high
fines to boost silt and clay contents, increasing
water holding capacity and reducing
hydrophobicity an alkaline reaction to offset the
slight acidity of the soil and irrigation
water material with moderately high phosphate
adsorption capacity to reduce solubility of P in
the organic amendment
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Maylands Peninsula Golf Course (Public)
Fairway Soil Analysis salinity low slightly
acidic (pH 5.6 6.3) moderate silt (2 ) clay
(1.5 2 ) moderately high organic matter
(thatch) not hydrophobic (does not repel
water) low levels of P, due to proximity to Swan
river, potential concerns of P leaching are
managed by application very low levels of
watersol P moderately low PRI with requirement
to maintain these levels to minimise leaching of
P
Soil Amendments Requirements an alkaline reaction
to offset the slight acidity of the soil material
with a moderately high phosphate adsorption
capacity to reduce the solubility of phosphorous
in the organic amendment a material with low or
very low fines and clay to improve drainage
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Chequers Golf Club (Public) Bullsbrook
Fairway Soil Analysis salinity low slightly
acidic (pH 5.8 6.3) moderate silt (2 ) low
clay (1.0) moderately high organic matter
moderately hydrophobic (water repellent) low
levels of K Mn low PRI, with a requirement to
maintain these levels due to close proximity to
Ellen Brook catchment
Soil Amendments Requirements additional organic
matter with a moderate level of K and Mn Material
with moderately high phosphate adsorption
capacity to reduce the solubility of phosphorous
in the organic amendment
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Customised Soil Blends
Sea View 20 tonnes of Rocla Clean Turf Sand
per hectare 10 cubic metres of Organic product
D per hectare 5 tonnes of Fly Ash per
hectare Maylands 25 tonnes of Carramar Fill
Sand per hectare 10 cubic metres of Organic
product D per hectare 10 tonnes of Residue Sand
per hectare Marri Park 20 tonnes of Wesco Fill
Sand per hectare 10 cubic metres of Organic
product B per hectare 5 tonnes of Residue Sand
per hectare Chequers 25 tonnes of Gingin Loam
per hectare 10 cubic metres of Organic product
F per hectare
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Preparation of Blends
Preparation of Blends
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Preparation of Blends
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Preparation of Blends
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Amended
40m
Amended
Control
Control
2m
Demonstration Plot Design
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Soil Amendment Application Rate 40 tonnes /
ha 40 bags / strip 3 Fairways Total 120 bags /
course
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Application
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Soil Amendment Application
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G.U.R MINIMAL
1 week after soil amendment application
Soil amendment application
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Seaview 1st Hole 3 weeks
AMENDED
CONTROL
CONTROL
AMENDED
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Water Holding Capacity No water 4 days, 35 C
Days
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Reduced Water logging Maylands GC 3rd Hole
5months
CONTROL
AMENDED
BUFFER
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Trial Still Visible 12months Maylands 2nd
hole - Rough
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Conclusions

• Slight increase in clay content
• Slight improvement in pH
• Slight increase in phosphate retention
• Reduced water repellency
• Improved drainage in water logged soil
  (Maylands)
• Improved plant nutrition (mainly nitrogen)
• Affects of amendments still visible 12 months
  after application

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Controlled Conditions Field Trial
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Controlled Conditions Turf Response Leachate
Evaluation

• Two applications of a liquid fertiliser
• Potassium phosphate and ammonium nitrate
• For assessment of
• Turf response
• Leachate quality.
• The fertiliser solution was prepared by
  dissolving 1.098 kilograms of potassium
  dihydrogen orthophosphate (KH2PO4) and 2.86
  kilograms of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) in 10
  litres of water.
• Application of 400 millilitres of the solution to
  each plot supplied nitrogen and phosphorus at
  rates on 40 and 10 kilograms per hectare (i.e 40
  g N/10 g P per plot), respectively, with each
  application.

30cm buffer
30cm buffer
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Dry Weight of Harvested Clippings
First Harvest ( 5 months)
Second Harvest (13 months)
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Lysimeter Leachate Results
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Gravimetric Soil Moistures of Amended Soils
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Conclusions

• Organic amendment provided highest turf yields
• Organic amendment does leach P on grey sands
• Inorganic organic provided highest quality
  leachate
• Inorganic organic will reduces nitrate
  leaching by reducing the amount of leachate
• A single application of organic supplies (at
  these rates) gives the equivalent of 500 kg of
  P (equiv. 20 years worth)
• Soil amendments indicate a fertiliser substitute
  for future years (except for nitrogen and
  possibly manganese and eventually potassium)
• Soil amendments can improve water holding
  capacity, reduce water use (provides and extra
  2-3 mm of rainfall/water)
• Reduces waste going to landfill, lowers water
  usage, reduces impact on environment (fossil
  fuels- fertilisers, nutrient leaching)

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Case Study No.2
Field Evaluation of Municipal Solid Waste
Compost for Recreational Turf Establishment
Perth Esplanade Trial Katrina Walton and Dave
Allen

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Objectives

• Compare effectiveness of two MSWs for
  improving soil quality of an unfertilised
  Spearwood sand.
• Compare effectiveness of two MSWs for promoting
  healthy turf growth based on visual assessment
  over a 12 months period.
• Identify potential nutrient deficiencies,
  toxicities or imbalances resulting from the use
  of MSWs as the principal source of nutrients for
  turf establishment.
• Provide an indication of the required
  application rates to maximise plant nutrition
  and water-holding capacity of amended soil.
• To determine the potential for nutrients to
  leach from soil amended with MSWs.

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Laboratory Analysis Compost Quality (AS4454-2003)
Quality Parameter Units Product A Product B
Moisture as received 30.6 15.0
Ash dry basis 74.9 52.0
Loss on Ignition (LOI) dry basis 25.1 48.0
pH - 8.2 8.2
Electrical Conductivity (EC) dS/m 4.3 6.0
Total nitrogen dry basis 0.93 1.21
Total carbon dry basis 10.5 28.0
C N ratio - 11 23
Ammonium-N mg N/L lt0.1 49
Nitrate-N mg N/L 39 0.89
Soluble phosphorus mg P/L 4.0 1.1
Particle size grading retained on 16 mm sieve 1.5 lt0.1
Wettability minutes/seconds 8 / 46 gt40
Foreign matter Glass, metal, hard plastic Light plastic Stones, clay clods as received as received as received 1.9 lt0.1 1.4 1.3 lt0.1 lt0.1
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Product B
Product A
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Existing Turf
Trial
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Surface after a Perth Arts Festival 8th Feb -
2nd March
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Recovery 3 weeks later 30th March 2008
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Total P in soil (0-40cm)
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Plant available (extractable) P in soil (0-40cm)
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PRI Concentration (0-40cm)
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Sodium / EC Levels
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Sodium Levels
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Case Study No.3
My Place Banjup
Bassendean Sand - Joel series silver loam
general soil properties pH acid PRI
low to saturated organic matter very low clay
content very low - none
really crappy soil
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Home Experiment
Total Area to be amended 1000 m3 Application
Rate 100 m3 / ha 10 m3 Premium Compost 20 m3
Yellow Brickies sand
Mixed 1 part compost 2 parts sand
Incorporation depth 5-6cm very lightly hoed
Turf Variety soft leaf buffalo (Sir Walter
stolons)
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1 week
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12 months
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2 years
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yesterday
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Acknowledgements
FLYASH AUSTRALIA


SMRC
Dale and Associates
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building attractive, environmentally and
economically sustainable landscapes
Thank you

www.zerowastewa.com.au
www.chemcentre.wa.gov.au