National Agricultural Compost Trials:
Year 2 Results

Effect of Compost Use on Turf Grass:
A summary of observations

by

Daryl McCartney
University of Manitoba, Department of Civil &
Geological Engineering
Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5V6
E-mail: mccartn@cc.umanitoba.ca

Cynthia Grant
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Brandon
Research Centre
Box 1000A, Brandon, MB, R7A 5Y3
E-mail: cgrant@em.agr.ca

Greg Holden
Clear Lake Golf Foundation Inc.
Box 328, Onanole, MB, R0J 1N0
 
 

Abstract:

This paper presents the results of the second year of the National Agricultural Compost Trials project being conducted in southwestern Manitoba. The three year goal of this project was to assess the existing operations and to develop operating protocols for their solid waste management program including: a characterization of their waste stream, an assessment of their composting operations, and testing of various compost use strategies on the turf grass.
 
 

Our three-year goals were:
1. Assess existing solid waste operations.
2. Develop operating protocols for their SWM program.
2.1 Characterize waste stream.
2.2 Assess compost operations.
2.3 Test various compost-use strategies on the turf grass.
The specific year-two objectives were:
 
1. Complete Solid Waste Audit.

2. Complete N Mineralization Bench Studies

3. Evaluate the affect of:

1. Various loading rates on fairway turf health.
2. Various loading rates & particle sizes on disease suppression (greens).
Some of the observations from the past year are summarized.

This figure represents a summary of the solid waste audit data. All the waste generated at the golf course was weighed for a one week period. The key point here is that almost 90% of the waste is organic material, grass clippings or kitchen waste.
 
 

Solid Waste Audit Results
Organic Materials
Grass clippings:
  • 2270 kg / week X 23 weeks X 75%
  • 39.2 tonnes / year
  • MC = 86.5%


Kitchen Waste:

  • 3.0 tonnes / year
  • MC = 65.9%
Composting Process Design Summary:
  • Target MC =60%
  • Straw as amendment
  • 0.52 kg straw per kg organics
  • Total mass per year = 64 wet tonnes
  • Total volume per year = 142 m3
Product:
  • ~50 wet tonnes per year
  • @40%MC

Nitrogen Mineralization Study
Methodology
  • Method of Campbell et al. (1993).
  • 100 g N mineralization microcosms @ 380C
  • Leached periodically.
  • Seven treatments plus control replicated 4 times each.
Treatment 
Material
a.  CLGF: s < l / l6"
b.  CLGF: 1/16" <s< 1/8"
c.  CLGF: 1/8" <s< 1/4"
d.  Plant Right (PC; 4-4-3)
e. 
Unknown (TC; not 5-2-4)
f.
Tigerganic (CM; 6-2-1)
h. 
a. plus d.
Control
sand

The amount of organic N mineralized over the experiment ranged from 12 to 15%. Coupling this
information with the fact that the compost had 0.04% available N (all as nitrate; 12 replicates;
%relative standard deviation, %RSD=27.9%) and 0.8% organic nitrogen (12 replicates;
%RSD=6.7%), suggests that the compost is not an abundant source of nitrogen.

 

The Plant Right had an available nitrogen content of 0.35% (all as arnmonia; 4 replicates, %RSD=I 7.9%) and an organic content of 6.2% (4 replicates; %RSD=2. 1%). The Tigerganic material had an available nitrogen content of 0.02% (all as arnmonia; 4 replicates; %RSD=8.6%) and an organic content of 6.7% (4 replicates; %RSD=2.6%). The amount of organic nitrogen mineralized was 33.7% and 39.3% from the Plant Right (a commercially available poultry compost product) and the Tigerganic (a commercially available hydrolyzed canola meal), respectively.
 
Turf Trials: Fairway Health
Methods & Top Dressing Rates
  • Recommended N Application: <50 kg / ha or 1 lb / 1000ft2.
  • Annual application (s < 1/4").
  • Random block design; Four replicates

 

Turf Trials: Fairway Health 
Short-term Results
  • Tukey Test: Pairwise multiple comparison
  • Clipping weights:

    • -range 7.2 to 21.7 g / m2
    -significant differences (yd3/ 1000ft2): 0.8 & 0; and 0.6 & 0.
  • Tissue N content:

    • -range 4.44 to 5.34 %
    -Significant differences (yd3/ 1000ft2): all, except 0.8 & 0.6; and 0.4 & 0.2

Turf Trials: Green Disease Suppression
Background & Research Hypotheses
Nelson (1992) & Craft & Nelson (1996):
  • Many composts have turf disease (Dollar Spot; & Gray Snow Mold) suppression properties.
  • Loading rates of 10 to 200 lbs / 1000ft2.
Hypotheses:

1. Finer material less impact on playability.
2. Finer material will have best suppression.
3. More frequent application better suppression.


Methods & Short-term Results

  • Random block design: Five treatments and one control replicated four times.
  • Treatments:

    • a. Control, no application.
    b. s<l/16"; 0.1 yd3/1000ft2;6 per year.
    c. s< 1/8"; 0.1 yd3/1000ft2; 6 per year.
    d. s<1/4"; 0.1 yd3/1000ft2; 6 per year.
    e. s<1/16"; 0.6 yd3/1000ft2; 1 per year.
    f.  s< 1/4"; 0.6 yd3/1000ft2; 1 per year.
Short-term Results:
  • playability not correlated to particle size at applications of 0.1 yd3/1000ft2.
  • Dollar Spot outbreak:

    • - spots per plot: range 2 to 35.
    - differences in means not significant.


Summary of Year 2

1. Golf courses should practice composting, as> 80% of waste stream compostables.
2. CLGF has reached the CCME goal of >50% waste diversion.
3. Low N availability from CLGF compost.
4. Other organics much better N availability, up to 40% of organic N available.
5. CLGF compost positive affect on fairway turf health.
6. Green speed not affected at top dressing rates of 0.1 yd3/ l000ft2.
7. Disease suppression, we'll see in April!!!
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