Upload
luke-parker
View
218
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Indexing Compost Products
David CrohnDan Noble
Purpose
Help users identify appropriate materials
Guide users away from inappropriate products
Give confidence to consumers in making purchases
Help reduce bad experiences for both vendors and consumers
System Components
There are three:1.The Product Index
2.The Best Use Manifest
3.The Use Index
Product Index
1. Must earn respect and acceptance from the Innovator Market (IM)
2. Should include enough detail to evaluate the materials in sufficiently to satisfy IM
3. Should include parameter values familiar to IM
4. Should therefore reflect the conventional thinking of the IM
Product Index
The Product Index is a series of numbers representing parameters of interest to IM
Product Index: 5,6,2,2,3,3,5,3,5,3,4,P
Product Total N
itrogen
Plant A
vaila
ble N
Total P
hosphoru
s
Sodium
Boron
Chlorid
e
Stabili
ty
Partic
le s
ize
Phytoto
xici
ty
Bulk D
ensi
ty
Organ
ic m
atte
r
Safet
y
Index: Fit 5 6 2 2 3 3 5 3 5 3 4 Pass
Numbers in the Product Index are between 1 and 6 and represent categories associated with measurable properties
Best Use Manifest The Use Manifest is a list of Product Index
values suitable for a range of particular applications such as• Topdressing turf
• Azalea potting soil blends
• Improving infiltration in calcareous soils
• Citrus tree planting The Product Index for a particular compost is
compared to the Use Manifest create Best Use Manifest for that product
Best Use Manifest
A Product Index is like a key.
The Use Manifest is a series of locks.
A computer is used to find which locks fit a particular key.
The Best Use Manifest list those that it fits.
Best Use Manifest(Totally hypothetical example)
ProductIndex: Fit 5 6 2 2 3 3 5 3 5 3 4 PassUse 1 ≥2 ≥3 ≥1 - - - ≥4 ≤3 ≤4 ≥1 ≥4 PassUse 2 ≥3 ≥4 ≥1 - - - ≥4 ≤4 ≤5 ≥1 ≥3 PassUse 3 ≥2 ≥4 ≥2 - - - ≥5 ≥5 ≤3 ≥2 ≥5 PassUse 4 ≥1 ≥2 ≥4 - - - ≥5 ≥3 ≤4 ≥4 ≥4 PassUse 5 ≥1 ≥2 ≤4 - - - ≥2 2-5 ≤5 ≤4 ≥4 PassUse 6 ≥4 ≥4 ≤3 2-4 - - ≥1 ≤4 ≤3 ≤3 ≥1 PassUse 7 2-5 - ≤6 - - - ≥2 ≤5 ≤5 2-5 ≥1 PassUse 8 - - ≤3 - - - ≥3 ≤3 ≤5 ≤3 ≥2 PassUse 9 ≥4 - - ≤4 - - ≥1 ≤4 - - ≥4 Pass
Use 10 - - - ≤4 ≤3 ≤4 ≥1 ≤4 - - ≥2 Pass
Uses 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 are Best
Uses? What uses?
•Agriculture
•Landscape
•Environment
Agriculture Uses
Vegetables Grains Forages Fiber crops Fruits & nuts Certified organic agriculture
Landscape Uses
Composted mulch (growth)
Composted mulch (suppression)
Hydroseeding Container use
• Potting soils
• Container production-field
Lawn/sod Production
GH seedling establish.• Lawn establishment, care
• Golf greens, sports fields Bedding Plants
• Drill seeding
• GH bedding plants
• General landscaping, bed establishment
Planting amendments• Shrubs
• Trees
Environment Uses
Erosion control• Filter Sock Media
• Inlet Sock Media
• Ditch Check Sock Media
• Stream Edge Saving
• Channel Socks
• Compost Berm
• Filter Rings
• Compost Blanket
• Steep Slope Protection
Soil treatments• Biofiltration Strips
• Vegetated Swales
• Wetlands restoration (or other natural ecosystems)
• Soil remediation or reclamation
• Roof-top gardens
• Manufactured Top Soil
• Absorbants
• Livestock bedding
The Parameters
Total Nitrogen • May be budgeted in some areas to protect
groundwater
• No fertilizer number is given, just 1 through 6
Nitrogen Availability• Estimated from C:N ratio and inorganic N
• Benefits plants
• Saves fertilizer
The Parameters
Phosphorus • Benefits plants
• Saves fertilizer
• May be controlled in some areas to protect surface water
• No fertilizer number is given, just 1 through 6
The Parameters
Sodium Boron Chloride
• Can be toxic to certain plant species
• Expected by IM’s
• Will not be apparent to casual users
• Best Use Manifest will exclude those plants sensitive to these if need be
• Developed by and for industry to protect sound products from hysteria
The Parameters
Stability• BAC or STA?
Particle Size• Sieve rates
Phytotoxicity• Germination
Organic Matter• 100% - combustion losses
The Parameters
Safety• Metals
• Pathogens
• Industry may set its own standards
• Soil Control Lab has large database that can be used to derive appropriate ranges
• Regulatory values can also be used.
Best Use Manifest
Advantages• Comprehensive
• Flexible
• Responsive
Disadvantages• Requires a computer printout
• May be more information than some users need
Use Index
Scott Deatherage’s original idea was to formulate a “Discretion Index.”
The use index is a simplification of the Best Use Manifest
It is designed to indicate the degree of “discretion” that should be given when applying a compost to a particular use
We think “Use Index” sounds more positive than ”Discretion Index”
Use Index Formulation
Consider the earlier example Assume all 10 listed uses are related within a
major category such as• Mulches
• Soil amendments
• Potting soil media
• Berm and filter media
Because 80% of possible uses were Best Uses for the hypothetical material, its use index is 8
Use Index = 8
ProductIndex: Fit 5 6 2 2 3 3 5 3 5 3 4 PassUse 1 ≥2 ≥3 ≥1 - - - ≥4 ≤3 ≤4 ≥1 ≥4 PassUse 2 ≥3 ≥4 ≥1 - - - ≥4 ≤4 ≤5 ≥1 ≥3 PassUse 3 ≥2 ≥4 ≥2 - - - ≥5 ≥5 ≤3 ≥2 ≥5 PassUse 4 ≥1 ≥2 ≥4 - - - ≥5 ≥3 ≤4 ≥4 ≥4 PassUse 5 ≥1 ≥2 ≤4 - - - ≥2 2-5 ≤5 ≤4 ≥4 PassUse 6 ≥4 ≥4 ≤3 2-4 - - ≥1 ≤4 ≤3 ≤3 ≥1 PassUse 7 2-5 - ≤6 - - - ≥2 ≤5 ≤5 2-5 ≥1 PassUse 8 - - ≤3 - - - ≥3 ≤3 ≤5 ≤3 ≥2 PassUse 9 ≥4 - - ≤4 - - ≥1 ≤4 - - ≥4 Pass
Use 10 - - - ≤4 ≤3 ≤4 ≥1 ≤4 - - ≥2 Pass
Uses should also be weighted to represent their significance in the marketplace
Use Index (Curved Version)
The material was a Best Use in for 80% of possible uses.
This did not adjust for the relative qualities of the material in the universe of compost products.
Frank Shields of the Soil Control Lab in Watsonville (Hi Frank) has provided a list of characteristics of tested products.
The Use Index might be curved to reflect a materials relative standing in the marketplace.
Use Index (Curved Version)
As just described, the Use Index reflects discretion.
It does not adjust for the relative qualities of a material in the universe of compost products.
Frank Shields of the Soil Control Lab in Watsonville (Hi Frank) has provided a list of characteristics of tested products.
Use Index (Curved Version)
To place the material among all composts1. Determine how many applications are suitable for
each tested material (In this case 0 through 10).
2. Sort the materials according to number of entries on the Use Manifest
3. The curve:• If 88% of all tested materials have Best Use Manifests with
8 entries or less, the material has a Use Index of 9 (round up).
• If 67% fit 8 entries or less, the Use Index is 7
Conclusions
The Product Index• Codes compost properties
The Best Use Manifest• Permits the generation of a detailed list of Best Uses
based upon the Product Index
The Use Index• Summarizes the Best Use Manifest for different uses• It can also be curved to reflect the population of
materials in the marketplace