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Lassenite ATS Scientific Studies

The USGA recommends testing the stability of golf course green building materials. This is accomplished by using the ASTM C-88 Sulfate Soundness Test. Greater than 12% degradation over a 20-year period is unacceptable.

Western Pozzolan's Lassenite ATS Soil Amendments far exceed this recommendation by degrading less than 3%.

DISCUSSION OF LAB RESULTS

The physical measurements test was performed on the “pure” pozzolan to determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity (infiltration rate), moisture retention at 30 cm tension, bulk density, particle density, total porosity, capillary porosity and air-filled porosity.

The physical measurements of the pozzolan showed it to have acceptable saturated hydraulic conductivity of 10.9 inches per hour which is in the normal range of 6-12 inches per hour recommended by the USGA. The pozzolan retained 62.1% moisture at 30 cm tension. The pozzolan had a low bulk density of 0.81 g/cc and a low particle density of 2.49 g/cc. The pozzolan had a high 67.7% total porosity, a very high 50% capillary porosity and an acceptable 17.7% air-filled porosity.

The physical measurements show that the pozzolan will have a high amount of total porosity and retain a very high amount of water. Therefore, the pozzolan will be effective in increasing the capillary porosity of a root zone sand.

To determine at what tension the pozzolan releases the majority of water, the water retention was measured at a range of tension including 0.03 bar, 0.3 bar, 2 bars, and 15 bars. The 0.03 bar moisture retention is representative of the maximum moisture retained by a 12” depth of soil (as in a putting green root zone). The 0.3 bar is the maximum moisture retained in a field situation similar to a fairway using native soil. The 2 bar value is representative of the moisture content at which a turf would be irrigated. The 15 bar value is considered to be the maximum amount of water that can be removed by plants. The measured values for the pozzolan are as follows:

Tension

0.03
0.3
2.0
15.0

MoistureContent (%)

62.1
9.3
3.6
0.8

Graph based upon studies of pozzolan by a USGA approved laboratory and four of the other top selling soil amendments.

As you can see from the graph Lassenite not only has the ability to abrorb a great deal more moisture but will also release it to the plants prior to what is called the "theoretical wilt point" or -500 cm. This value was chosen because under most normal irrigation cycles a rootzone would rarely be allowed to exceed this value before resupplying water. This information is the key to the ability of Lassenite to eliminate localized dry spots and reduce irrigation requirements.