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