TResearch Plan for 7 Acre Field Site, at the SEER Centre,
Ceanghline, Straloch Farm, Enochdhu, Perthshire.

Introduction.

First stage scientific research into the use of rock dust and compost as proposed by the Sustainable Ecological Earth Regeneration (SEER) Centre, Enochdhu, Perthshire.

The research will take the form of field trials at the SEER Centre. The site is a 7 acre valley bottom field immediately south of the A924 opposite the SEER Centre demonstration gardens. It is moderately flat and its current status is improved agricultural grazing.

The SEER Centre Trust was established in 1997, to consolidate and extend 10 years previous work by Moira and Cameron Thomson on soil remineralisation. Since then, demonstration gardens have been developed on the site which frequently appear to show dramatic results when rock dust and municipal composts are used to regenerate worn out native soil. While these effects are observable and work well as a demonstration for the visiting public, they cannot be quantified without controlled trials and scientific methodology. Likewise, there are a number of possible outcomes of soil remineralisation, which cannot be measured without scientific analysis.

The SEER Centre's aims include dissemination and the replication of SEER techniques throughout Scotland initially, and in order to achieve this a convincing, impartial field trial must be set up which will capture the interest of the scientific, forestry, waste management and agricultural communities.