Figure 1. Indiana Harbor Canal, IN, from which the dredged material for the tests originated

ERDC TN-DOER-R3

September 2004

Indiana Harbor

A control substrate served as a test to verify performance of the plants; five replicates at a

36-percent moisture level were tested. The plant study included a total of 55 units. For each unit,

0.230 g L. perenne seeds were weighed and placed on top of 1 L of the appropriate substrate

mixture contained in 2-L plastic pots. Plants were amended with slow-release Osmocote

fertilizer after 10 days to attain target levels of 352 kg N ha-1, 59.2 kg P ha-1 and 331.9 kg K ha-1,

commonly used for pastures (Best and Jacobs 2001). Plants were allowed to grow for 59 days

prior to harvesting. Seeds germinated synchronously, as was verified before the onset of the

tests. C. esculentus, initially considered as another suitable candidate for a plant test species, was

not used for the current tests, because attempts to enhance and synchronize germination of its

tubers were unsuccessful.

Animal Tests. Animal tests used the same treatments as the plant tests, but were carried out at

only one moisture level, 36 percent. The invertebrate study included a total of 30 units. For each