What it does

Compost Atlas works from lab reports. Upload the soil and compost lab reports (PDF, scan, photo, Excel or CSV) and it reads the values into the form for you to check. Then use one of three tools:

Compost Compare: two to five composts side by side on the same field, rate and crop, with what each releases, what it is worth, how it moves soil pH, and its stability, maturity, pathogen and contaminant results against public limits.
Nutrient Release: one compost on one field at one rate. It shows the nutrients the compost releases in the first 90 days and in Years 2 and 3, against the crop's need. The USDA soil profile (SSURGO) at the location supplies the soil; add a soil test and the tool uses its pH and counts the nutrients already in the soil.
Compost Capacity: up to five composts across up to 200 fields in one run. For each field it finds the maximum compost the soil test allows in a spring or fall application, and the limit that binds (salt, pH, phosphorus or a 1-inch layer).

Compost Compare and Nutrient Release share their inputs, so a run on one opens the other with the same field, rate and crop.

What you get back

A capacity table by field and season that names the limit that binds.
N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg and micronutrient release against the needs of 36 crops.
The fertilizer-equivalent dollar value per acre and per ton, counting each nutrient only up to the crop's 90-day need.
A Word report from every tool, Excel and CSV from Compost Capacity, and a print view on every tool.

Where the numbers come from

USDA soil data (SSURGO), the standard compost-lab method panel (TMECC), and published university and federal crop-nutrient guides: see the Sources page for the full list.

This is a planning tool, not a prescription. Final decisions belong with a qualified agronomist who knows your operation.