No-Tillage Field Corn and Vegetables Using Yard Waste Compost

Disposal of yard waste on farmland could help reduce the need for additional landfill disposal sites and should help improve soil quality and productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of disposal of yard waste compost (YWC) on production of field corn (Zea mays) and vegetables. Several on-farm and experiment station studies were conducted from 1993 to 1994. Corn forage yield improved from the cumulative application of YWC. By the third year, YWC mulch-treated corn forage yields were 11.2 Mg/ha greater than control treatments, a highly significant economic difference. Much of the yield advantage from YWC applicationwas attributed to improved soil water storage at corn planting time. Squash (Cucurbita pepo) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) yields between locations were heavily dependent upon our ability to provide timely irri­ gation and the degree of nematode infestation. Transplanted seedlings and incorporated YWC treatments appeared to result in best yields, based upon our limited data.