Biodynamic (BD) agriculture, a form of organic agriculture, includes the use of specially fermented preparations, but peer-reviewed studies on their efficacy are rare. Composting of a grape pomace and manure mixture was studied in two years (2002 and 2005) with and without the BD compost preparations. Water extracts of finished composts were then used to fertigate wheat seedlings, with and with...

Three different types of compost, PM-5 (poultry manure compost), 338 (dairy cattle manure compost), and NVIRO-4 (alkaline-pH-stabilized dairy cattle manure compost), and irrigation water were inoculated with an avirulent strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium at 10(7) CFU g(-1) and 10(5) CFU ml(-1), respectively, to determine the persistence of salmonellae in soils containing these c...

The common practice of remediating metal contaminated mine soils with compost can reduce metal mobility and promote revegetation, but the effect of introduced or colonising earthworms on metal solubility is largely unknown. We amended soils from an As/Cu (1150 mg As kg(-1) and 362 mg Cu kg(-1)) and Pb/Zn mine (4550 mg Pb kg(-1) and 908 mg Zn kg(-1)) with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% compost and then in...

Changes in physical and chemical characteristics of an organic waste (tomato crop waste) throughout composting (COM), vermicomposting (VER) and the combination of both processes (C+V) were assessed at five selected stages. COM consisted of a combination of the static Rutgers system with forced aeration and pile turning. For VER Eisenia worms were fed with the raw material. For C+V pre-composted...

Compost use in landscaping and erosion control applications has become widespread. Various types of composts have been utilized on highway embankments for soil conservation and runoff reduction. Different compost materials could have different erosion control effects. The objective of this study is to investigate the erosion resistance of three commonly used composts and their effects on slope ...

When feedlot pens are scraped in the spring and summer, manure is often stored before land application can occur in the fall. Manure stockpiled or composted was evaluated for nutrient losses in 2 experiments for 104 (Exp. 1) and 111 d (Exp. 2). Stockpiles (n = 2 in Exp. 1 and n = 3 in Exp. 2) and compost windrows (n = 6 in Exp. 1 and n = 4 in Exp. 2) were constructed with feedlot manure scraped...

In 2005, the US Environmental Protection Agency National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Phase II for Construction Sites, listed compost filter socks as an approved best management practice for controlling storm runoff and sediment on construction sites. Like most new technologies used to control sediment on construction sites, littl...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form symbiotic associations with most crop plant species in agricultural ecosystems, and are conspicuously influenced by various agricultural practices. To understand the impact of compost addition on AM fungi, we examined effect of four compost rates (0, 11.25, 22.5, and 45 Mg/ha) on the abundance and community composition of AM fungi in seedling, flowering, a...

Lead poisoning of waterfowl from direct ingestion of wetland mine tailings has been reported at the Coeur d'Alene River basin in Idaho. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the effects of surface applications of amendments on lead bioavailability in the tailings. Treatments included sediment only, and sediment with three different surface amendments: (i) biosolids compost plus wood ash,...

Compost stability and maturity are important parameters of compost quality. To date, nearly all compost characterization has been performed using samples freshly collected because sample storage can affect compost stability and maturity evaluation. However, sample preservation is sometimes necessary, especially for scientific research purposes. There is little information available on the effec...