| |
| Publication Type:
| Refereed |
|---|
| Author(s): | Hue, N. V.;
Liu, J. |
|---|
| Author Affiliation: | Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, College of Tropical Agriculture an Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii |
|---|
| Title: | Predicting compost stability |
|---|
| Source: | Compost Science & Utilization. Vol. 3, No. 2, Spring 1995, p. 8-15. |
|---|
| Publishing Information: | Emmaus, PA: JG Press |
|---|
| # of Pages: | 8 |
|---|
| Keywords: | TIC Keywords: Composts; Comparisons; Carbon dioxide; Carbon; Nitrogen; Color; Humic acids; Fulvic acid; Volatility; Measurement
|
|---|
| Abstract/Contents: | "Sixteen composts consisting of 14 commercial samples, one immature yard waste compost and one raw material of mostly grass clippings were evaluated for their stability. In a three-day incubation test, the commercial composts yielded from 9 to 99 mg CO₂/kg/hr, with a mean CO₂ production rate of 61 mg CO₂/kg/hr. By contrast, the immature compost produced 684 mg CO₂/kg/hr and the raw material, 1,433. The low CO₂ production rates of the commercial composts along with dark brown color and lack of unpleasant odors in moist conditions indicated that these composts were indeed stable. We devised a quick chemical test to predict compost stability. Several compost properties were measured: (i) total (C,N and C:N), (ii) water-soluble (C,N and C:N), (iii) NaOH-soluble C, humic and fulvic acids, and optical absorbances at 465 nm (E4) and 665 nm (E6) of the NaOH-soluble fractions. Water-soluble fraction, particularly water-soluble C and the C:N ratio, best separated stable from unfinished composts. However, water-soluble organic N in some stable composts was less than 0.01 g/kg, making measurement difficult. Thus, alternatively a ratio of water-soluble C: total organic N ≤ 0.70, based on Mean (0.32) + 2*SD (0.19), is suggested as a predictor of compost stability. Also, compost stability can be predicted by NaOH-soluble C:water-soluble C ≥ 6.0, but not by (humic acid:fulvic acid) or (E4:E6) of any NaOH-soluble fractions." |
|---|
| Language: | English |
|---|
| References: | 14 |
|---|
| See Also: | Other items relating to: Biostimulants |
|---|
| Note: | Figures
Tables |
|---|
| ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Hue, N. V., and J. Liu. 1995. Predicting compost stability. Compost Sci. Util. 3(2):p. 8-15. |
| Fastlink to access this record outside TGIF: https://tic.msu.edu/tgif/flink?recno=53323 |
| If there are problems with this record, send us feedback about record 53323. |
| Choices for finding the above item: |
|---|
| 
MSU catalog number: TD 796.5 .C584 |
| Request through your local library's inter-library loan service (bring or send a copy of this TGIF record) |
