Dissertation
EVALUATING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOST TEAS TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CROP AND PASTURE PRODUCTION
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000002434
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/120980
Abstract
Many farmers seek sustainable alternatives to purchased inputs. Compost teas are increasingly used and researched as farm-based fertilizers and plant health promoters. This research included laboratory, greenhouse, and field investigations of the chemistry, microbiology, and plant effects of compost teas and extracts as fertilizers. The first study determined the biological and chemical properties of eight compost tea recipes. Compost tea properties were affected by compost source, additives, brewing time, and interactions of these. Overall, teas had a larger population of protozoa and more fungal biomarkers at d3, while at d1, they had more bacteria biomarkers. Recipe A produced a dominant bacterial community, while Recipe B produced a relatively greater fungal to bacterial ratio, and protozoa were greatest in recipe C. This work establishes compost teas that create similar microbial communities, despite using different composts or no compost. The second study compared two of these recipes as fertilizer on beets. This study had two trials: Recipes A and D using vermicompost (Ver A and Ver D) or no compost (Add A and Add D) at 3d and 10d of brewing were compared with Hoagland Solution (HS) at 5 concentrations and multiple controls. Tea Ver A at both times of brewing produced beets with highest chlorophyll, largest taproot, and greatest leaf number. Also, Add A 10d produced similar results to VerA 3d and VerA 10d on chlorophyll. Tea Ver D produced poor beet growth, similar to negative control or 25% HS. Trial two used VerA, A+HS, and Ex-A produced more leaf numbers, taproot diameter, chlorophyll, top fresh weight, and dry root weight of beet. A+HS improved beet growth over 100% HS, and Ex-A yielded comparably to VerA 3d, wherever both encouraged higher beet growth compared to 100% HS. A third study was established to compare compost tea to other organic nutrient sources in an organic pasture managed with high and low-density grazing. Manure enhanced soil chemical and microbial characteristics, but gypsum/bone meal was less than other fertilizer sources in the third study. In 2109, low-density grazing carried less plant biomass than high-density, although low-density provided more potassium and nitrates.
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Details
- Title
- EVALUATING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOST TEAS TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CROP AND PASTURE PRODUCTION
- Creators
- Adel Ali Bensaud Almesmari
- Contributors
- Lynne Alane Carpenter-Boggs (Advisor)Mark Joseph Pavek (Advisor)Joan R Davenport (Committee Member)Amit Dhingra (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Horticulture, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 135
- Identifiers
- 99900606757201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation