2007 R&D OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES REPORT

The R&D group has undergone some personnel changes. Emil Boucek retired May 31 after 28 years with the District. In July the District was able to obtain IEPA’s permission to discontinue the remaining monitoring of the underground collection devices at the UEC , MM, and St. David gobpiles and the monitoring wells.

Below are on-going research activities:           

UICF corn fertility plots:

This project was established in 1973 to evaluate the effect of long-term applications of anaerobically digested biosolids on crop yield, crop chemical composition, and mine soil composition.

Activities conducted in 2007:

Applied biosolids and fertilizer treatments in April              Planted corn in April
            Soil sampling in June
            Collected corn leaf samples in July
            Collected grain and stover samples in October

Phosphorus Phytoavailability Study:

This project was established in 2005 to expand a  P Phytoavailability study that was conducted in the greenhouse at the Stickney Lab. This study will enable us to determine the fraction of biosolids P that is plant available in the field.

Activities conducted in 2007:

Soil sampling field 83
            Corn planted in May
            Collected corn leaf samples in July
            Collected grain and stover samples in September

Phosphorus Runoff Simulation Study:

This project was executed to determine the difference in potential runoff loss of soil P from biosolids and commercial phosphorus fertilizer.

Activities conducted in 2007:

Collected bulk soil samples from Field 83 plots
            Air dried the soils on large drying racks
           Run the rainfall simulator and collected Runoff samples  (4 replications)

As of 2007 we no longer officially have an R&D department in Fulton County. I was officially transferred to the M&O department on Jan. 1. I will continue to carry out the R&D activities along with Nick Lafary, a temporary laboratory technician.