Evidence for the role of silica in plants is reviewed with respect to the application of silicate based sprays in biodynamic agriculture. There is research indicating improved resistance to pests, disease, drought and other stresses on plants from application of silica fertilisers and sprays. There is also evidence of improved nutrient uptake. Experiments with field grown lettuce were undertake...

We studied the effects of applying different composts (urban organic waste, green waste, manure and sewage sludge), mineral fertilizer and compost plus mineral fertilizer on chemical, biological and soil microbiological parameters over a 12-year period. The organic C and total N levels in soils were increased by all compost and compost + N treatments. Microbial biomass C was significantly (P £ ...

testing methods are not adequately recorded or reported, assuring the quality of the information generated—and thus, the quality of the compost produced—is impossible. Since sample collection, handling, storage, and shipping are generally conducted by facility personnel, a quality assurance program that addresses these steps must be developed by each facility. The key steps in developing such a...

The increasing use of a variety of postindustrial wastes believed to be benign in the compost process raises the concern of presence and toxicity of xenobiotics, defined as compounds that have been introduced into the environment by artificial means at any point in their useful cycle, and which may or may not later exert harmful influences if present in composts. Boron (B) is a trace element th...

Composts are known for their suppressive properties toward many different seed- and root-infecting pathogens and diseases. Although disease and pathogen suppression induced by composts is believed to be mediated by microbial activities, the nature of the microbial species and processes responsible for suppressiveness remain unknown. We demonstrated previously that seed-colonizing microbial cons...

Representatives of the genus Micromonospora have so far been reported mainly from soil or, in the case of thermophiles, from composts. The type species, M. chalceae, described by ,2rskov (1923) who erected the genus, was first isolated by Foulerton (1905) under the name Streptothrix chalceae. This remained the only known strain among the Actinomycetes bearing the generic name Micromonospora unt...

The safety of urban farming has been questioned due to the potential for contamination in urban soils. A laboratory incubation, a field trial, and a second laboratory incubation were conducted to test the ability of high-Fe biosolids-based composts to reduce the bioaccessibility of soil Pb and As in situ. Lead and As bioaccessibility were evaluated using an in vitro assay. Changes in Pb, As, an...

Composting of oiled bleaching earth with waste sludge and corn straw was carried out to investigate the ability of microorganisms to synthesize biosurfactants that might decrease the surface tension of composts. Analytical results and changes in the surface tension suggest that biodegradation of fatty by-products was the consequence of emulsifying properties of higher fatty acids. The surface t...