Non-Wetting Sands

Maddingley Minerals have established trial sites in Netherton, South Australia for the forth coming cropping season 2002.

The trials consist of 4 plots within a known area that has deep non wetting sands.

Location

The location of the trial site is located at:
Barney Road Netherton, South Australia
(Barney Road runs off the main Peake to Coomandook road)
The site area is clearly signed, and we urge anyone interested to inspect the site.

The trial will be monitoring the water absorption, germination and soil structure during the season.

Soil tests have been carried out before and will be tested again at the end of the season for nutrient and carbon response.

These trials are being conducted on private property but will be open to public inspection during the year.

For further information on these trials contact our liaison officer P.DUDLEY on dates of field days and further written information.

This section also displays a controlled trial in progress using visual glass display on HumusPlus4 in absorption and germination of Barley in the Netherton non-wetting sands over a 6 week period.

This visual display clearly indicates that moisture can penetrate this soil by just a small application of the HumusPlus4 conditioner. The germination of the barley is also evident in such a short time with moisture with the application.

The display shows a leakage through the trial partition to show a round mass of moisture in the control side of which one of the barley seeds have germinated at a later date.

The application rate was equal to 1000 kgs (1 tonne) to the ACRE spread and then incorporated to seed bed floor.

The breakdown of the material has taken place over the 6 week period. See the  SCIENTIFIC REPORT.

The soil has been tested by petrology to examine the reaction to Humic input by the HumusPlus4 in comparison to the natural sand and organic matter present and conclusions are that possibly that the HumusPlus4 has produced some changes in the wettability of the sand grains, for example by altering the surface electron charges .

Maddingley minerals will be updating this page as results become available.

HumusPlus4 costs are below Clay Spreading within 600 kilometres of Bacchus Marsh Victoria.

INTERSTATE ENERGY GROUP. PO Box 1039, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340. Ph. (03) 5367 0725, Fax. (03) 5367 0726.
© 2002 Copyright Maddingley Minerals. HumusPlus4 and OCCA are registered business names of Maddingley Minerals.