New Hampshire Compost Association 



Compost Use Demonstration 



BY MIKE RAINEY 



Introduction 



In February of 2003, the New 

 Hampshire Compost Association 

 (NHCA) requested permission from 

 N.H. Department ot Administrative 

 Services, General Services Bureau to 

 conduct a compost use demonstra- 

 tion on state grounds outside the 

 Health & Human Services Build- 

 ing at 27 Hazen Drive (formerly 6 

 Hazen Drive) in Concord. The goal 

 of the project was to show that the 

 use ot good quality compost would 

 improve turf growth around state 

 buildings when compared to the 

 typical turl management currently 

 employed. Included in the origi- 

 nal request was a proposal describ- 

 ing how the demonstration project 

 would be conducted. 



Methods and Materials 



To demonstrate the value of com- 

 post as soil amendment lor turf 

 growth, an area in front of the 

 Health & Human Services Building 

 was chosen for the project (figure 

 I). Construction on the demonstra- 

 tion area was started and complet- 

 ed on May 5, 2003. The pilot area 

 in total was about 51 teet long by 

 14 feet wide. This plot was divided 



Figure I. 



into tour smaller treatment plots, 

 each 12 teet by 14 feet (figure 2). 

 Three plots were treated with dif- 

 ferent soil amendments/fertilizers 

 (biosolids compost, chemical fertil- 

 izer, and leaf & yard waste) and 

 then seeded with a perennial rve 

 grass. One plot received no amend- 

 ment/fertilizer, but was seeded. 

 Figure 2 shows the relative position 

 ot each treatment within the demon- 

 stration. Between each ot the smaller 

 plots a one-toot butter ot untreated 

 turt was maintained. 



In order to determine the appro- 

 priate applications rates tor compost 

 and tertilizer, a composite sample 

 of the soil in the plot area was 

 collected and sent to UNH Ana- 

 lytical Services in Durham. After 

 completion ot the analysis, a lab re- 

 port was sent with detailed nutrient 

 recommendation tor nitrogen, phos- 

 phorus, potassium, and lime require- 

 ments. Based on the soil test results 

 no lime was recommended. Applica- 

 tion rates for the three plots receiv- 

 ing fertilizer or compost were based 

 on nitrogen need. The recommenda- 

 tion from UNH for nitrogen was 1 

 lb. ot nitrogen per 1000 square feet. 

 The area ot each treatment plot was 



Figure 2. 



168 square teet. Rounding to an 

 area of 200 square feet, 0.2 lbs of 

 nitrogen would be needed for each 

 treatment plot. For the chemical fer- 

 tilizer plot, about 1 lb. of a 29-3-4 

 tertilizer was applied. This resulted 

 in about 0.29 lbs of nitrogen being 

 applied. For ease ot application, it 

 is otten recommended that 1/4" to 

 1/2" of compost be applied to lawns. 

 Assuming 0.15% available nitrogen, 

 and using the application guide- 

 lines ot 1/4" to 1/2", between 0.19 

 to 0.38 lbs ot nitrogen was applied 

 to the leat & yard waste treatment. 

 Assuming 0.30% available nitrogen, 

 0.36 lbs. to 0.72 lbs. of nitrogen was 

 applied to biosolids treatment. Af- 

 ter the fertilizers and compost were 

 applied, these amendments were 

 incorporated into the soil to a depth 

 ot 2-3" eliminating any existing 

 grass. Since no amendment was 

 added to the control no incorpora- 

 tion was necessary and the existing 

 turt was preserved. Perennial rye 

 grass seed was applied to all four 

 treatments according to application 

 recommendations on the label and 

 raked into the surface ot the soil. 

 After amending the soil and seed- 



BIOSOLIDS 



^ CHEMICAL FERTIll 



t LEAFS YARD WASTE 



CONTROL 



SPRINO 2004 



19 



