| Abstract: | Calibrations have been developed for the prediction of moisture (34–71% w/w) and bulk density (193–402 g litre?1) in milled peat. Predictive accuracy was satisfactory in the case of moisture (residual standard deviation (r.s.d.)=1.1) but less so for bulk density (r.s.d.=15.1); values for precision (pooled standard deviation between duplicates) were 0.7 and 12.1 respectively. Variations in milled peat colour had no effect on the accuracy of either calibration although variation in sample temperature (+6 to +27°C) resulted in an increased residual standard deviation and the appearance of a small mean bias; precision was also affected. |
