?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Potential+of+different+composts+to+improve+soil+fertility&rft.creator=Fuchs%2C+J.+G.&rft.creator=Baier%2C+U.&rft.creator=Berner%2C+A.&rft.creator=Mayer%2C+J.&rft.creator=Tamm%2C+L.&rft.creator=Schleiss%2C+K.&rft.subject=+Soil+quality&rft.subject=+Composting+and+manuring&rft.description=Composts+can+influence+soil+fertility+and+plant+health.+These+influences+can+be+positive+or+negative%2C+depending+of+the+quality+of+the+composts.+Some+practitioners+already+make+use+of+the+positive+effects+on+plant+health.+For+example%2C+they+use+composts+to+protect+their+plants+against+soil+borne+diseases+in+substrate%2C+or+to+detoxify+and+reactivate+soil+after+steaming.+In+order+to+estimate+the+potential+of+Swiss+composts+to+influence%0D%0Asoil+fertility+and+plant+health+positively%2C+we+analyzed+one+hundred+composts+representative+of+the+different+composting+systems+and+qualities+available+on+the+market.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+organic+substance+and+the+nutrient+content+of+the+composts+varied+greatly+between+the+composts%3B+the+materials+of+origin+were+the+major+factor+influencing+these+values.+The+respiration+rate+and+enzyme+activities+also+varied+greatly%2C+particularly+in+the+youngest+composts.+These+differences+become+smaller+when+the+composts+become+more+mature.+Maturity%2C+the+degradation+stage+of+the+organic+matter%2C+depended+not+only+on+the+age+of+the+compost%2C+but+also+on+the+management+of+the+process.+The+N-mineralization+potential+from+compost+added+to+soil+showed+that+a+high+proportion+of+young+composts+immobilized+the+nitrogen+in+the+soil.+This+problem+was+hardly+correlated+with+the+materials+of+origin%2C+but+with+the+management+of+the+first+stage+of+the+composting%0D%0Aprocess.+Especially+composts+which+had+become+too+dry+in+this+period+lost+their+ammonia-nitrogen%2C+and+hence+immobilized+nitrogen+in+the+soil.+Also+composts+with+a+low+NO3%2FNH4+ratio%2C+as+a+rough+indicator+for+an+immature+compost%2C+immobilized+nitrogen+in+the+soil.+By+contrast%2C+the+phytotoxicity+of+the+composts+varied+very+much+also+in+matured+composts%2C+showing+that+the+storage+of+the+compost+plays+a+decisive+role.+While+the%0D%0Amajority+of+compost+protected+cucumber+plants+against+Pythium+ultimum%2C+only+a+few+composts+suppressed+Rhizoctonia+solani+in+basil.+With+respect+to+disease+suppression%2C+the+management+of+the+maturation+process+seems+to+play+a+major+role.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+conclusion%2C+big+differences+in+compost+quality+and+of+their+impact+on+soil+fertility+and+on+plant+health+were+observed.+The+management+of+the+composting+process+seems+to+influence+the+quality+of+the+composts+to+a+higher+extent+than+the+materials+of+origin+or+the+composting+system.+More+attention+should+be+paid+to+biological+quality+of+composts%2C+in+order+to+produce+composts+with+more+beneficial+effects+on+crops.&rft.publisher=ORBIT+e.V.+D-Weimar&rft.contributor=Kraft%2C+E.&rft.contributor=Bidlingmaier%2C+W.&rft.contributor=de+Bertoldi%2C+M.&rft.contributor=Diaz%2C+L.F.&rft.contributor=Barth%2C+J.&rft.date=2006&rft.type=Book+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F9218%2F1%2Ffuchs-etal-2006-orbit.pdf&rft.identifier=Fuchs%2C+J.+G.%3B+Baier%2C+U.%3B+Berner%2C+A.%3B+Mayer%2C+J.%3B+Tamm%2C+L.+and+Schleiss%2C+K.+(2006)+Potential+of+different+composts+to+improve+soil+fertility.+In%3A+Kraft%2C+E.%3B+Bidlingmaier%2C+W.%3B+de+Bertoldi%2C+M.%3B+Diaz%2C+L.F.+and+Barth%2C+J.+(Eds.)+Proceedings+of+the+International+Conference+ORBIT+2006+%22Biological+Waste+Management%3A+From+Local+to+Global%22%2C+Part+2+Composting+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Quality%2C+Application+and+Benefit%2C+Life+Cycle+Analysis%2C+Sludge+and+Soil%2C+ORBIT+e.V.+D-Weimar%2C+pp.+529-538.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F9218%2F