ISHS Acta Horticulturae 630: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Nursery Crops; Development, Evaluation, Production and Use
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF SPENT MUSHROOM COMPOST, TURKEY LITTER COMPOST AND MUNICIPAL COMPOST IN 18 WASTE-DERIVED CONTAINER NURSERY SUBSTRATES |
| Author: | C. Chong |
| Keywords: | Paper mill sludge, ornamentals, media, waste recycling |
| Abstract:
Dogwood (Cornus alba L. ‘Sibirica’), forsythia (Forsythia X intermedia Zab. ‘Lynwood Gold’) and weigela (Weigela florida Bunge A. DC. ‘Variegata Nana’) were grown for one season in containers filled with one of 18 waste-derived substrates formulated using three compost sources: spent mushroom compost (SMC), turkey litter compost (TLC), and municipal waste compost (MWC). Each compost was included at rates of 25, 33, and 50% by vol. mixed respectively with 50, 33, and 25% paper mill sludge, and 25, 33, and 25% bark or sand (supplemental ingredients). Before mixing, electrical conductivity [EC, (dS x m-1), a measure of the soluble salts concentration using 1:2 v/v substrate:water extracts] in the unamended composts were excessive (SMC, 4.0; TLC, 4.1; and MWC, 3.0), due primarily to elevated quantities (mg x L-1) of K (1166-2006), Cl (848-1656), Na (139-511), and/or SO4 (29-894). Analysis of variance with treatments in factorial combinations (3 compost sources x 3 rates x supplemental ingredients) indicated variable species response. Dogwood (no treatment interactions) grew best with the SMC-amended substrates, providing equal but less growth with TLC and MWC. This species also grew better with bark as supplement than with sand and showed no response to compost rates. Corresponding results for the other species were: weigela, MWC > SMC = TLC, and increasing growth with increasing rates of all composts when supplemented with sand but not bark; and forsythia, SMC = MWC > TLC, and increasing growth with increasing rate of SMC with sand, or of MWC with bark. Despite these variations, all plants were at least of marketable size at harvest. There was no sign of nutrient toxicity because the soluble salts in the substrates (initially ranging from 0.6-2.6 at planting) declined rapidly after the first irrigation (0.2-1.0) and remained low thereafter (≤0.6). | |
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