Presentation Abstract

Student's Name: Mary Cook '24

Co-registrant Names:

Type of Presentation: Poster

Presentation Title: "Comparative Growth Rates of Grass on Eco-Loam vs. Traditional Loam: A Study of Sustainable Soil Solutions"

Abstract:

Last year Cold River Materials in Walpole, NH began producing manufactured topsoil (MFT). There are three ingredients: Class A biosolids, biochar, and sediment fines. All three of these products are considered byproducts from different industries. The main intent is to develop a sustainable and viable topsoil option for construction reclamation. The purpose of my study is to determine if MFT grows grass at a faster rate than traditional loam (TDL). This study was conducted over 6 weeks from June to mid-July 2024 at Cold River Materials in Walpole, NH. I utilized MFT and TDL along with two different grass seed mixes- Kentucky bluegrass and a conservation mix- to create 4 treatments: MFT/Kentucky bluegrass, MFT/conservation mix, TDL/Kentucky bluegrass, and TDL/conservation mix. Grass growth was measured using two methods: fresh weight and percent cover. Results indicated that conservation mix planted in manufactured topsoil grew at the fastest rate. Additionally, both data collection methods demonstrated that bluegrass planted in manufactured topsoil provides the most biomass (fresh weight), and the greatest cover (percent cover), when compared to traditional loam. Overall, the results demonstrate the advantages of using manufactured topsoil for optimal grass growth in construction reclamation applications.

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