2006 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research that is being conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and is associated with the parent project 1265-12000-035-00D, Benefits and Risks of Using Waste Foundry Sand for Agricultural and Horticultural Applications. Objectives for this year were to get the field experiments constructed, instrumented, and established, and to begin leachate collection and analysis, and to measure grass growth and collect tissue samples for analysis. Field experiment locations and materials used. 1. Penn State Ag. Experiment Station in Landisville, Lancaster County, southeastern PA. Foundry sand from Boyertown Foundry and biosolids compost. 2. Penn State LMRC at University Park, central PA. Foundry sand from Littlestown Foundry and spent mushroom substrate. 3. Agrecycle Composting Facility, near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, western PA. Foundry Sand from Beaver Valley Alloy and yard trimmings compost. We were required to obtain a Research and Development General Permit from DEP prior to establishing these field experiments. This delayed installation of the field experiments into the summer and turf was not planted until fall 2005. The experiment at each location consists of two treatments comparing the foundry sand/compost blended soil with a local natural topsoil material. Each site consists of 6 plots (3 replications of each treatment), each measuring 10 x 10 feet and approximately 9 inch depth of material. Each plot is instrumented with a 1 ft2 zero tension pan lysimeter buried beneath the foundry sand or natural topsoil material. Plots are planted with perennial ryegrass. All plots were constructed during the summer of 2005 and were planted in the fall of 2005. Samples of natural and blended soils used and all blend components were collected and chemically and physically analyzed. To date we have collected a total of 232 leachate samples. Samples collected from each location are as follows: Landisville: 106 LMRC: 56 Agrecycle: 70 Leachates have been analyzed for pH, EC, total N, NO3, NH4, total P, ortho P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and several trace elements. Grass growth on all plots is good. Plots have been mowed and fertilized to maintain home lawn turf. Grass yield was determined on alternate mowings and clipping samples were collected for tissue analysis. We have collected yield and clipping samples five times at each location. Composite samples of all five sampling dates will be analyzed for nutrient and trace element content. Data reduction and analysis of all data collected through July will be done in early Fall of 2006 and a report of preliminary findings will be prepared. Leachate collection and analysis will continue through summer 2007. Grass yield measurements and clipping analysis will resume during the active growth phases in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007.