INITIAL REPORT ON FIELD TRIAL
TRITON BARLEY STRAW
INJECTED WITH HIGH LEVELS OF CONCENTRATED SOIL BACTERIA
Objective:
To demonstrate the efficacy that had been proven in a laboratory setting combining barley straw with highly concentrated forms of soil bacteria and its effects on the ecological balance in water gardens and ponds.
Product Utilized:
Triton Barley Pillow Plus
Product Detail:
The Triton Barley Pillow Plus is scientifically formulated to provide a culture media for the growth and continuous release of friendly soil bacterial once the barley pillow is placed in a body of water. When the straw is injected with the bacterial solution, the bacteria become inactive until the pillow is placed in water. When placed in water, the bacteria will become active again.
The inactive state gives the product a shelf life of at least five years.
The barley pillows were injected with sufficient CFU's (colony forming units) of bacteria to be the equivalent of treating the body of water five time with bacteria throughout the life of the barley pillow.
The pillows are designed to treat the following;
- Small - ½ Lb. - 50 square feet of surface area or approximately 750 gallons.
- Medium - 1 Lb. - 100 square feet surface area or approximately 1,500 gallons.
- Large - 5 Lb. - 500 square feet of surface area or approximately 7,500 gallons.
- Commercial - 10 Lb. - was used at the rate of 100 Lbs. per acre, with ponds averaging 5 feet deep.
Premise:
To demonstrate that this breakthrough combination of products would produce predictable, consistent quality of water in water gardens, ponds, and small lakes. The areas of interest were;
- What effect would DO (dissolved oxygen) levels have on results?
- Would soil particles suspended in the water affect the eventual outcome?
- Would the date of placing the product in the water have an effect on the outcome?
- Dosage of straw and bacteria?
- Would water quality be predictable?
- Would sludge and muck on the pond bottom be digested?
- Would fish thrive and be healthy?
- Would the small and medium last 12 - 14 weeks as they have previously without bacteria injected, and would the large and commercial last 24+ weeks, as it has previously without bacteria injected in it?
Test Time Frame:
The pillows were primarily placed in the month of April 2003. These results were written up in September of 2003.
Locations:
- 12 water gardens in northern Indiana and the Chicago area.
- Two 2 acre plus sites in the same region.
- Two 2 acre sites in south Florida.
- A 3.5-acre site was treated in mid-June in north central Indiana.
Observations:
Our observations have been predictable and consistently the same in virtually every pond when it was treated according to our guidelines.
- Water clarity was very good.
- Sludge, tree leaves, muck on the bottom of the ponds when present in excess of 1" disappeared within an 8-week period, after the placement of the bacteria injected straw in the water.
- Water clarity was such that all aquatic water life, fish, plants, etc. could easily be seen.
- In most instances, small amounts of carpet moss could be seen growing on the bottom. This is beneficial, as carpet moss is an essential for the food chain of fish.
- Water clarity occurred within 1-2 weeks of placing the Triton Barley Pillow Plus in the ponds.
Each of the ponds progressed as predicted/expected. In each pond, the sludge was removed and/or reduced and the pond remained clear. The exceptions are noted as follows.
Exceptions:
- One pond was noted to become clear and then suddenly became cloudy. It was determined that the DO (dissolved oxygen) level of the pond had dropped to about 2-PPM (parts per million). This was due to a section of the pond not receiving sufficient aeration and becoming stagnant lowering the DO levels. Once a subsurface aerator was installed in the pond and the DO restored to 8 PPM, the pond cleared within 5 - 7 days.
Large pond in south Florida,
- Results were similar whether the injected logs were used or the 10 lb. un-injected log and the pond then treated with the incubated liquid bacteria, the results were similar. A clear healthy pond.
Later in the summer, the temperatures rose to over 100o with very heavy rainfall resulting in substantial water turnover. This resulted in slightly cloudy water. A check of the DO (dissolved oxygen) was made and the DO was found to be 2 - 3 PPM.
One 2-acre pond experienced,
- Heavy rainfalls diluting pond water approximately 3:1 on two different occasions. The creek that flooded the pond was the source of large number of mature carp. Their bottom feeding activity created a pond that looked like a mud hole. However, through mid-June, the pond remained relatively free of undesirable plant growth
- However, with the increased heat of July, the DO (dissolved oxygen) dropped to 5 PPM and undesirable plant growth begin to appear.
- By mid-August the OD (dissolved oxygen) had dropped to 2 - 3 PPM, in spite of subsurface aeration.
- The DO (dissolved oxygen) level in June, prior to the heavy rainfall, was 8 PPM.
Second 2-acre pond experience:
- This pond had been very clear up until mid-August. It began to become cloudy and it was determined to have some spots of low aeration.
- Up to this time, oxygen-releasing powder had been used.
- A fountain was installed to aid in the aeration of the pond.
- After 48 hours of operation of the fountain, the DO level was noted to be in the range of 6-PPM.
- Ten days of operation after the fountain's installation, the DO levels were noted to be in the 8-PPM range and the pond began to clear.
- The site has demonstrated no undesirable plant growth.
- The pond does have around one foot of sludge on the bottom.
- We estimate that two years of treatment will be required to reduce the amount of the sludge to desirable levels.
3.5 acre pond:
- Not treated until mid-June, this site has been slower to respond. When initially treated, this pond was totally out of control with cloudy water and undesirable surface plant material.
- As of mid-August, the surface plant growth has disappeared and the water if beginning to clear.
- The DO in this pond has been approximately 8 PPM.
Conclusions:
- Dissolved oxygen levels below 6 PPM adversely affect water gardens or ponds. DO levels below 6 PPM demonstrate,
- The importance of high quality diffusers and their maintenance to facilitate the function of microorganisms appropriately.
- When the DO falls below 6 PPM, the oxygen is inadequate for the function of microorganisms and they begin to shut down. The rate of biodegradation of muck and sediment will also slow down.
- It is noted that as the water temperature rises, water can hold less oxygen and the DO levels drop. Thus, the need for adequate subsurface aeration capability to account for high mid-summer temperatures and maintain DO at 8 PPM.
- Some of the floating particulate matter in the water column is inorganic, which cannot be digested through biological processes or microorganisms. The suspended soil particles can be created by,
- Subsurface aeration kicking up inorganic soil particles, small fragments of rock, etc. which are not digested or altered by any kind of biological process. Fortunately, these particles fall back to the bottom of the pond unless there are bottom-feeding carp which tend to stir the bottom up. Koi do not appear to present this problem
- Early spring placement results in more rapid results.
- The formula of 2 oz. per 10 square feet of surface area in a small water garden or the rate of 100 lbs. per acre in larger ponds was effective.
- Water quality is predictably outstanding.
- Sludge and muck is digested readily.
- No undesirable odors have occurred in any site.
- No pillows develop foul odors suggestive of anaerobic bacterial proliferation.
- Fish in each pond are healthy.
- This is a simple once or twice a season application.
- Monitoring pH is desirable, and it's been noted that if unwanted plant growth does develop, that generally pH has been in the range of 8 and with the addition of acid, this problem has been helped significantly.
In summary, the Triton Barley Pillow Plus has proven to be,
- A simple one step process, which accomplishes creating a natural native appearing pond or small lake with outstanding water clarity. All of the initially posed areas of interest were addressed and satisfactorily answered. A small amount of plant growth was noted on the bottom of the ponds, with this being essential in the food chain of the fish. Also, it was noted there was absolutely no odor with any of these ponds that was unpleasant and there were none of the pillow or logs that developed foul odors.
- Triton Barley Pillow plus provides a simple, economical, environmentally friendly, ecologically sound easy to use process, which is a major advancement in natural means to improve water quality in water gardens, ponds, and small lakes.
We thank the members of the Backyard Pondering Society and others who participated in this field trial. Following are a few of the comments made about the Triton Barley Pillow Plus.
"The pillow as placed in mid-April. The water was so cloudy, nothing was visible in the pond. Six inches of sludge and muck is nearly all gone, the water is very clear and we can see the fish, etc. It works great! Thank you."
Everett Kettle
South Bend, IN
"We had the pleasure of being a part of this trial. We had a large amount of undesirable surface plant growth and cloudy water. In 4 to 6 weeks the water is very clear, sludge is gone with a healthy beautiful pond. We have been very pleased with this product and would recommend it for future mass marketing."
Gary & Jo Coats
South Bend, IN
"I'm grateful you allowed me to be in your test. Initially, the rocks were covered with fuzzy growth and much muck on the bottom. After several weeks the water was very clear, the plant growth is very desirable and the muck is nearly gone. As long as you make this product and I have a pond, I will be a customer of yours."
Barbe C.W. Williams
South Bend, IN
"We've been struggling with unwanted plant growth control in our 2 acre pond for over 10 years. The character of the pond & the inflow in nutrients from resident Canada geese creates blooms of undesirable plant growth as soon as water temperatures begin to warm up. We've tried introducing dry-packaged enzymes in an attempt to consume excess nutrient loads with very little benefit.
This spring we worked with Stoller Nursery implementing a plan to use injected barley logs. The season warmed, yet our pond s unwanted plant growth levels remained within acceptable levels. We did not see the typical surface blooms we've seen for many years prior. I have been very pleased with the results."
Rick Stumpf
Directory of Parks & Planning
Highland Park, IL
"We have had a pond for four years. This is the first year we have not had to fight cloudy water and foul odors. The first three years we tried everything we could find, but nothing really worked. This year we tried a Triton Barley Pillow Plus in mid-April, and our pond has been the best ever. We will use this product from now on."
Dick & Joan Silverthorn
Baroda, MI
"We tried the Triton Barley Pillow Plus in two of our golf course ponds this season. There was dramatic improvement in water clarity. We noted clearing of sludge in the onds' bottoms as well."
Tom Goodwin, CGCS
Golf Course Superintendent
Pottawattomie Country Club
Michigan City, IN
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