Study of Moisture, Ash, and Organic Content of Peat Samples

Abstract

An empirical method for determining moisture, mineral, and organic content of peat has been proposed and collaboratively compared with a method similar to that used in Federal specifications for the purchase of peat. Moisture results were significantly low by the Federal method in all cases but generally were equally precise by both methods, indicating that larger samples do not greatly improve the precision. Ash results were about the same for both methods, although the Federal method gave higher precision; ashing conditions in the proposed method appear inconsistent due either to the lower ashing temperature or to the larger sample used. It is recommended that study be continued.

Fertilizers

“…Studies were conducted on the moisture content of peat samples by a federal method using a 5-to 10-gram sample with drying at 70°C to a constant weight, and a proposed method using a 50-gram sample with drying at 105°C overnight (84) A relative precision of ±1.5% was obtained when the Karl Fischer method was applied to N-P and N-P-K fertilizers using dry methanol as an extractant (56).…”