2012/03/01 by Chaney C. G. St. Martin, R. A. I. Brathwaite · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Agronomy #Biology #Compost #Composting and Vermicomposting Techniques #Fusarium oxysporum #Horticulture #Plant Growth Enhancement Techniques #Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity #Pythium ultimum #Rhizoctonia solani #Soil conditioner #Soil water #Verticillium dahliae
paper · doi:10.1080/01448765.2012.671516
openalex publication_date 2012/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of composted organic wastes not only as substitutes for peat as a growth substrate but also to stimulate plant growth and suppress soil-borne diseases. The major impediment to the use of compost as substrates or biocontrol agents has been variation in physical and chemical characteristics and disease suppression levels across and within compost types, sources, and batches. Compost tea, a product of compost, has also been shown to suppress soil-borne diseases including damping-off and root rots (Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora spp.) and wilts (Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium dahliae). Although the mechanisms involved in disease suppression are not fully understood, sterilization of composts and compost teas has generally resulted in a loss in disease suppressiveness. This indicates that the mechanism of suppression is often, or predominantly, biological, although chemical and physical factors have also been implicated. The inoculation of composts with biological control agents, manipulation of compost tea production process, and the use of new techniques for organic matter characterization and microbial community profiling may improve the efficacy and reliability of disease control obtained.