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Re: effects of compost?
L. Hoitink at Ohio State has written extensively on the subject. Marc
BUchanan and Richard Smith have a paper in press reporting disease
suppressive effects of municipal compost used in an onion field. I am sure a
library search could yield quite a bit more.
At 06:23 AM 3/12/96 -0800, Patrick Madden wrote:
>Are there any good scientific studies on the disease
>suppressiveness of soils treated with compost? I have seen only a
>few, and wonder if much more literature is out there.
>
>Clearly not all compost is "created equal." Studies on this
>subject would have to take account of the many properties of the
>compost, when and how it is applied, to what kind of soil, for
>what kinds of crops, in what climate and growing conditions etc.
>etc. The studies I have seen so far have been encouraging, but
>not comprehensive.
>
>With more and more urban "green waste" going into compost, there
>will be a major expansion in supply. Demand will be strongly
>influenced by user perceptions of the impacts, including disease
>repressiveness, soil tilth, water holding capacity, etc. and both
>short-term and long-term effects on yields. Clear thinking and
>solid data are needed to head off wrong expectations, and to
>provide growers with factual basis for informed choice. WSAA
>would like to help disseminate the results of good studies in this
>important area.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Patrick Madden, World Sustainable Agriculture Association
>
>March 12, 1996
>
>
Matthew Werner
Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
1156 High Street
University of California
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
408/459-4661
408/459-2799 fax
werner@zzyx.ucsc.edu