Evaluating the accuracy of using reinforcing bar and an infrared thermometer versus long-stemmed thermometers in monitoring mortality compost pile temperature

Two mortality compost piles were constructed using a mixture of goat mortality and butcher waste with ground hay as the carbon source to compare core temperature recorded by long-stemmed thermometers (LST) vs. an infra-red thermometer (IR) to read temperature of a reinforcing bar (RB) thrust into the pile. One LST was inserted into the core of each pile along with a 3 m length of 0.95 cm thick RB so that tips of both the RB and LST were in close proximity. For 30 d following pile construction, LST temperature was recorded daily between 1500 and 1600 h. Each RB was then withdrawn from the pile and the tip’s temperature determined using an IR. Data were analyzed using repeated measures in a mixed model containing treatment (T = LST and RB), date as a covariate (D), and the interaction to test for heterogeneity of slope. Compost pile was a random effect. Date (P 0 of P