If a sewage sludge has 20% solids and is applied at a rate of 30 wet tons per acre, what is the application rate in dry tons per acre?

To find the application rate in dry tons per acre, you begin with the wet tons of sewage sludge applied and the percentage of solids contained in that sludge.

In this case, the sewage sludge has 20% solids, meaning that only 20% of the total weight is dry material, while the remaining 80% is water. When you apply 30 wet tons of sewage sludge per acre, you can calculate the amount of dry solids by taking 20% of that total weight.

Calculating 20% of 30 wet tons:

[

Dry;tons;per;acre = 30;wet;tons \times 0.20 = 6;dry;tons;per;acre

]

This calculation confirms that the application rate is indeed 6 dry tons per acre. Consequently, recognizing that the correct conversion from wet tons to dry tons is vital in nutrient management practices helps ensure appropriate nutrient application rates for crop production. Thus, the answer of 6 dry tons per acre is accurate and aligns with the principles of understanding nutrient management based on moisture content in sludge applications.