Chapter 4: Greywater experiments on two types of turf – Experimental Methods… …
4.5 Layout of pots for turf growing experiments …
4.5.1 Spring set of turf samples
The eighty pots containing the Spring set of turf samples were laid out into five replicate sets labelled A, B, C, D, E, each of which contained eight pots of Kikuyu and eight pots of Tall Fescue (See Table 4.2 and Figure 4.1). The plan was to apply eight watering treatments i.e. M/Gro, Shower, Water, ECTW, ECDR, CPTW, SHU, and CPDR to these turf samples. The pots of turf for each replicate set were selected by randomly drawing out written numbers from a container.
The pattern of the layout of pots receiving the range of treatments was randomly drawn for only one of the replicate sets (A), because it was considered that if the watering patterns for all the replicate sets were randomly drawn, there was a significantly increased potential for errors in occasionally watering with the wrong treatment across a fully randomised set of trials (there were 150 pots of turf and also later 100 pots of native flowers to be watered, sometimes daily in very drying conditions). The other four replicate sets were therefore watered in patterns that maximised randomisation but minimised the chance of treatment error. This variation in pattern of watering was that replicate sets B and E had their pattern of treatments interchanged (flipped over) along the centre line with the result, for example, that M/Gro on Kikuyu in replicate A was an outside pot whereas M/Gro on Kikuyu in replicate B was an inside pot. This interchange between outside and inside positions was intended to account for any possible differences in drying conditions between inside and outside pots, and to maximise randomisation.
4.5.2 Summer set of turf samples
The sixty pots containing the Summer set of turf samples were arranged into five replicate sets labelled F, G, H, J, K, and each replicate set contained six pots of Kikuyu and six pots of Tall Fescue (See Table 4.2 and Figure 4.1) The treatments applied to the Summer set were SHU, CPTW, Shower, CPTW Shower, CPTW SHU,
and M/Gro. The pots of turf samples and the watering patterns were selected in the same way as for the Spring set.
4.5.3 Spring set SHU/5 samples
Excess turf from the Spring set was kept growing on top of sandy loam top soil in small garden beds made from cut out car tyres. On observing the strong growth displayed by turf treated with SHU (1% v/v urine), it was decided to include turf treated with shower water containing only one fifth of the urine level contained in SHU. The new treatment was referred to as SHU/5, and the specimens were interspersed mainly among the Summer planted pots of turf, because there was no room to include them with the Spring set, without expending a considerable amount of work to move and level the pots again.
The photograph (Figure 4.1) and Table 4.2 illustrate the positions of the Kikuyu and Tall Fescue pots, the treatments, the pot and set labels, and how the pots containing the turf samples were positioned in two quadruple rows to the west (right) side of the pots containing the native flowers.
Figure 4.1 – Layout of pots for turf and native flower experiments
Table 4.2 - Layout of pots for Kikuyu & Tall Fescue experiments
KI TF KI TF
K-Se t
K1 SHU SHU CPTW CPTW K4 K5 Shower Shower CPT Sh CPT Sh K8 K9 M/Gro M/Gro CPT SH U C PT SHUK12
A-Se t
A1 M/Gro M/Gro Shower Shower A4 KI TF KI TF A5 W ater W ater ECTW ECTW A8 D-Se t
A9 ECDR ECDR CPTW CPTW A12 D17 SHU/5 SHU/5 D18
A13 SHU SHU CPDR CPDR A16 D1 M/Gro M/Gro Shower Shower D4 D5 W ater W ater ECTW ECTW D8
B-Se t D9 ECDR ECDR CPTW CPTW D12
B1 Shower Shower M/Gro M/Gro B4 D13 SHU SHU CPDR CPDR D16 B5 ECTW ECTW W ater W ater B8
B9 CPTW CPTW ECDR ECDR B12 E-Se t
B13 CPDR CPDR SHU SHU B16 E1 Shower Shower M/Gro M/Gro E4 E5 ECTW ECTW W ater W ater E8
C-Se t E9 CPTW CPTW ECDR ECDR E12
C1 M/Gro M/Gro Shower Shower C4 E13 CPDR CPDR SHU SHU E16 C5 W ater W ater ECTW ECTW C8
C9 ECDR ECDR CPTW CPTW C12 F-Se t
C13 SHU SHU CPDR CPDR C16 F1 SHU SHU CPTW CPTW F4 F5 Shower Shower CPT Sh CPT Sh F8
G-Se t F9 M/Gro M/Gro CPT SHU CPT SHUF12
G1 CPTW CPTW SHU SHU G4 F13 SHU/5 SHU/5 F14
G5 CPT Sh CPT Sh Shower Shower G8 KI TF KI TF G9CPT SHU CPT SHU M/Gro M/Gro G12
G13 SHU/5 SHU/5 G14
H-Se t
H1 SHU SHU CPTW CPTW H4 S
H5 Shower Shower CPT Sh CPT Sh H8 E W H9 M/Gro M/Gro CPT SH U C PT SHUH12 N
H13 SHU/5 SHU/5 H14
J-Se t
J1 CPTW CPTW SHU SHU J4
J5 CPT Sh CPT Sh Shower Shower J8 CODES:
J9CPT SHU CPT SHU M/Gro M/Gro J12 KI = Kikuyu turf J13 SHU/5 SHU/5 J14 TF = Tall Fescue turf
KI TF KI TF CPT Sh = CPTW Shower
CPT SHU = CPTW SHU Scaly Buttons and Small Vanilla
Lilies (8 Pots)