H ighbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is adapted to soils with high organic matter and pH of 4.5-5.5. Coniferous sawdust is the blueberry industry standard soil amendment and mulch in the Pacific Northwest, USA. However, sawdust prices are increasing, and its availability is becoming limited. Therefore, many blueberry producers are interested in compost as an alternative to sawdust, whi...

This research illustrates the qualitative and quantitative composition of the mycoflora of both a green compost (thermophilically produced from plant debris) and a vermicompost (mesophilically produced by the action of earthworms on plant and animal wastes after thermophilic preconditioning). Fungi were isolated using three media (PDA, CMC, PDA plus cycloheximide), incubated at three temperatur...

Zinnia is an annual plant with the long flowering period from late spring to mid-autumn. It is a popular plant for landscape. In the present study, the effect of two types of growth promoting bacteria and Azolla compost on some ornamental characteristics of Zinnia were evaluated in pot cultivation and greenhouse conditions. The factorial experiment was conducted in three replications based on a...

Compost-assisted phytostabilization has recently emerged as a robust alternative for reclamation of metalliferous mine tailings. Previous studies suggest that root-associated microbes may be important for facilitating plant establishment on the tailings, yet little is known about the long-term dynamics of microbial communities during reclamation. A mechanistic understanding of microbial communi...

Soil disturbance of wildlands sites during construction or erosion often results in loss of nutrientrich topsoils and decreased plant available nitrogen (N). When soil organic matter is removed, the content, decomposition and cycling of organic N within soils is also decreased, reducing long-term sources of plant available N. Yard waste composts are a potential resource for replacement of deple...

Phytoextraction of mercury-contaminated soils is a new strategy that consists of using the higher plants to make the soil contaminant nontoxic. The main problem that occurs during the process is the low solubility and bioavailability of mercury in soil. Therefore, some soil amendments can be used to increase the efficiency of the Hg phytoextraction process. The aim of the investigation was to u...

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees is a medicinal herb in the family Acanthaceae. The leaves of the mature plant contain abundant diterpinoids of medicinal properties.The objectives of the present study were to investigate the impacts of compost tea rates on photosynthesis parameters and antioxidant reactions of A. paniculata. The plant was propagated using seed and planting in a polybag. A...

The influence of coffee pulp organic matter as a substrate for the growth of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) was compared with substrates of diverse origins to increase soil organic carbon and provide the basis for the use of the organic coffee by-product for the production of legumes in the tropical arable cultivation condition of Ethiopia. Four kinds of substrates, namely topsoil (Treatment I)...

This study evaluates the feasibility of using the grass species Rendlia altera, Monocymbium ceresiiforme, Cynodon dactylon, and amendments (compost and lime) for the phytostabilisation of soils contaminated by Cu in the province of Katanga (Democratic Republic of Congo). Species were grown on control and Cu-contaminated plots (artificially contaminated with 2,500 mg kg(-1) Cu) unamended (NA), a...

in order to evaluate the effects of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on yield and yield components of milk thistle (silybum marianum l.), an experiment was conducted at the research station of ferdowsi university of mashhad based on complete randomized block design with three replications and six treatments during year 2007. treatments included inoculated seeds with azotobacter, com...