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Re: effects of compost?
TO: Monalisa From Patrick Madden
Point well taken, and well established in the literature. Can't
ignore the pre-composting inputs.
A Japanese group I work with uses a grading system that includes
germination testing of the copmost. Samples of compost are placed
in petri dishes in a growth chamber with radish seeds, to
determine if the compost inhibits germination. Some "compost" is
toxic, and will kill the seeds. They also do many other tests.
The group of MOA Nature Farming. If interested I can snail mail
you some info on it.
Sorry for the long delay in replying.
Incidentally, I received Harry Hoitink's book, Science and
Engineering of Compost, which is a seminal work in this area.
Available from Renaissance Publications, 7819 Barkwood Drive,
Worthinington, Ohio, 43085.
I also received many other suggestions and lists of sources..
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> From monalisa@albany.net Sat Mar 16 17:42:12 1996
> Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 20:43:23 -0500
> From: Lisa Lehman-Gordon <monalisa@albany.net>
> Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
> To: Patrick Madden <pmadden@igc.apc.org>
> Subject: Re: effects of compost?
> References: <199603121423.GAA03119@igc2.igc.apc.org>
>
> Saw your posting while browsing through the alt.ag newsgroup,
and
> wanted to share these thoughts regarding compost composition.
The
> characteristics of compost will be greatly affected by the
material
> being composted. In my area, various composting operations are
> contending with the implications of the composting feedstocks
they are
> using; for example, a local commercial site receives some food
waste
> and a lot of paper mill sludge and has to search for bulking
agents to
> blend in. There are also interesting discussions going on
regarding
> the feasibility of adding gypsum salvaged from gypsum wallboard
> recovery (paper removed first) and other less-than-common
items. As
> you attempt to characterize the charateristics of compost, I
implore
> you to include the pre-composting inputs in your consideration.
Users
> of compost will need this information in order for your
analysis of
> characteristics to be truly useful.
>
> Wouldn't it be great if we could come up with some sort of
grading
> system for compost that an end user could refer to when
planning their
> compost use? Factors such as inclusion of paper mill sludge
and
> gypsum could be considered; so could the possible presence of
plastic
> contaminants from food waste composting, etc. Other inputs,
such as
> manure, leaves, pine needles, lumber scraps, etc, no doubt have
their
> own effects on compost characteristics, which could be
considered.
>
> Perhaps it exists, but I'd love to see a simple table that
matches
> compost type (based on degree of composting and inputs to the
> composting process) to soil type and end use (crop to be grown,
> whether corn or oats or golf course grass).
>
> Perhaps we could classify composted material in a universal
grading
> system, e.g.:
> Type 4 compost is from yard waste 75% or greater and pulp mill
waste
> 20% or greater and is great for melons, corn and residential
lawns.
> Bad for herbaceous perennials and wheat. (Obviously, a made-up
> example.)
>
> So, what you guys doin' up there, anyways?
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