Patent ID: 9034069
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: A01C,A01G,B09C,C05D,C05F

Abstract:
1. A method of engineering topsoil in situ from subsoil at a land reclamation site, comprising: (i) selecting a native reference topsoil to replicate; (ii) preparing the subsoil at the land reclamation site by loosening the subsoil to at least the depth of the topsoil engineering; (iii)(a) determining a total effective amount of surrogate humin material sufficient to replicate an estimated humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil by estimating the humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil, and calculating the total effective amount of surrogate humin material sufficient to replicate the estimated humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil; (iii)(b) determining a total effective amount of plant residue material sufficient to replicate an estimated non-humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil by estimating the non-humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil by subtracting the estimated humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil from the total carbon content of the native reference topsoil, and calculating the total effective amount of plant residue material sufficient to replicate the estimated non-humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil, wherein calculating the total effective amount of plant residue material includes adjusting the effective amount of plant residue material to compensate for an expected carbon loss from the plant residue material in the form of CO (iii)(c) adding a first portion of the total effective amount of plant residue material to the loosened subsoil and mixing the added plant residue material with the loosened subsoil; (iv) adding a first portion of the total effective amount of surrogate humin material to the loosened subsoil and mixing the added surrogate humin material with the loosened subsoil: (v) adding and mixing a second portion of the total effective amount of plant residue material to the loosened subsoil after the first portion of the soil amendment material has been mixed into the loosened subsoil in an amount sufficient to replicate the estimated non-humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil; (vi) adding and mixing a second portion of the total effective amount of surrogate humin material to the loosened subsoil after the first portion of the surrogate humin material has been mixed into the loosened subsoil in an amount sufficient to replicate the estimated humin organic carbon content of the native reference topsoil to form an amended subsoil as an engineered topsoil having selected characteristics that replicate the native reference topsoil.