3896Soil and Root Additives

3896.1SCOPE

Provide soil and root additives to improve soil or root stock to stimulate growth, and improve the health of plant stock or seed.

3896.2REQUIREMENTS

Provide soil and root additives registered and approved for sale in Minnesota by the Department of Agriculture (MDA), listed on the APL by the Department’s Erosion and Stormwater Management Unit, and meeting the following requirements as required by the Contract: A Plant Hormones Provide rooting hormone powder or liquid to stimulate rooting of plant cuttings, bare root stock, and perennial plant Material. The Material shall contain known root hormones including any of the following:

Provide powder that does not contain inert ingredients that are harmful to the environment. B Hydrophilic Polymers Provide super-absorbent polymer or hydrophilic compound meeting the following requirements and characteristics:

water-binding groups

Apply the hydrophilic polymers at the rate recommended by the manufacturer. C Mycorrhizal Inoculum Provide mycorrhizal inoculum meeting the following requirements and characteristics:

When known, use Minnesota origin Materials. Apply the mycorrhizal inoculum as recommended by the manufacturer for new plantings. Provide a mycorrhizal inoculum that does not contain antagonistic pathogens or at trace levels as defined by the MDA. C.1 Type 1 Type 1 is for use with native grass plantings. Provide species of Endomycorrhizal fungi containing at least 3 species of glomus fungi. Additional species of Gigaspora, Scutellospora, Entrophospora, Acaulospora, or Sclerocystis may also be present. Ectomycorrhizal species of Pisolithus or Rhizopogon can also be present. C.2 Type 2 Type 2 is for use with plant stock, such as shrubs, trees, etc. Provide species of ectomycorrhizal fungi containing species of Rhizopogon fungi and other cold tolerant species.

D Iron Sulfate Provide ferric sulfate or ferrous sulfate in pellet or granular form containing at least 18.5 percent iron expressed as metallic iron to lower pH. The Engineer will accept the product based on information contained on its label. E Activated Charcoal Provide activated charcoal to neutralize or deactivate residual organic pesticide or chemical contaminants in the soil meeting the following requirements:

F Rhizobium Inoculum Provide rhizobium inoculum as a delivery system of living organisms to address atmospheric nitrogen when part of native and non-native legume plant roots and meeting the following characteristics and requirements:

rhizobium strains

seeding and some fertilizing operations

organisms Store rhizobium inoculum at temperatures from 40°F to 77°F and away from direct sunlight. Use the rhizobium inoculum per the manufacturer’s recommendations . Do not use pesticides, some seed treatments, and typical chloride-based fertilizers. Provide non-native legume rhizobium inoculum for clovers and alfalfa crop species on lignite or charcoal carriers. Provide native legume seed rhizobium inoculum for seeds of native legumes of Amorpha, Astragalus, Chamaecrista, Dalea, Desmodium, and Lespedeza species seed -applied on peat or compost carrier. Provide native legume-broadcast rhizobium inoculum for native legumes of Amorpha, Astragalus, Chamaecrista, Dalea, Desmodium, and Lespedeza species broadcast on a peat or clay carrier in a pelletized form. G Compost Tea Provide commercially produced compost tea produced from compost in accordance with 3890, “Compost,” and containing the following biological organisms based on certified test results:

Aerobic nematodes are acceptable if present. Anaerobic root nematodes or nematode feeding nematodes are not acceptable. The Contractor may choose to modify the compost tea by one of the two following methods: G.1 Bacteria-Dominated Compost Tea Provide bacteria-dominated compost tea consisting of the following:

may include any green plant debris, plant based food scraps, and coffee grounds Use bacteria-dominated compost tea as a foliar spray for herbaceous plants and turf grass to prevent foliar diseases. G.2 Fungi-Dominated Compost Tea Provide fungi-dominated compost tea consisting of the following:

Use fungi-dominated compost tea to suppress woody plant diseases and to introduce beneficial fungi for root development immediately after tree planting.

3896.3SAMPLING AND TESTING — BLANK