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Compost research and organic agriculture

Posted on: Sunday, 28 September 2003, 06:00 CDT

A RECENT STUDY by an organization called Organic Monitor reported that there are almost 57 million acres of organic farmland under cultivation worldwide, "with even more farmers in developing countries being drawn to organic food production for its export potential." Latest figures on the global market for organically- grown foods indicate that sales reached $23 billion in 2002.

The tremendous advances in organic soil management programs and organic agriculture are reflected in the state of Minnesota which leads the United States in production of organic corn and soybeans. In April of this year, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Minnesota, the University's Extension Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Farm Service Agency to provide important services to organic farmers in the state. "This organic partnership is the first of its kind to occur anywhere in the country," notes Meg Moynihan of the MDA staff.

For many decades as organic soil management practices have advanced, compost has been key to building soil humus, nutrient availability and plant health. Recent articles in Compost Science & Utilization reflect the knowledge base provided by compost researchers. These include, for example, the following: Chemical, Physical and Biological Criteria for Maturity in Composts for Organic Farming; Compost Tea - Principles and Prospects for Plant Disease Control; Compost Effects on Soil Physical Properties; Yield and Quality of Crops in Response to Compost; Suppressing Weed Growth with Compost; Organic Matter Characterization of Composts from Different Feedstocks; Systemic Resistance in Vegetable Crops by Composts; Impact of Compost on Soil Microbial Communities; Occurrence, Degradation and Fate of Pesticides during Composting; and Prospects for Composts and Biocontrol Agents as Substitutes for Methyl Bromide in Biological Control of Plant Diseases.

Currently, the editors of CS&U and BioCyde are preparing a special publication on Compost in Organic Agriculture. To fulfill our objectives, we will work closely to develop this project with researchers at centers throughout the world. We invite you to contact us with abstracts of your current research that relate to organic agriculture and send us comments about its scope. Please send material to the attention of Jerome Goldstein, CS&U, 419 State Avenue, Emmaus, PA 18049 USA. E-mail: biocycle@jgpress.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Topics to be included in Compost in Organic Agriculture will cover: Role of compost in organic production; Compost quality criteria for organic agriculture; Function and value of compost on plant growth; Nutrient source; Biological enhancement; Pest management; Use recommendations; and Guidelines for specific crops. - J.G.

Copyright J.G. Press Inc. Summer 2003

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