Influence of farm compost on soil quality and crop yields
Tommy D’HOSE1, Mathias COUGNON2, Alex DE VLIEGHER1, Erik VAN
BOCKSTAELE1,2, Dirk REHEUL2
1
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research ILVO, BE-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium, Email: tommy.dhose@ilvo.vlaanderen.be
2
Department of Plant Production, Ghent University, BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
Abstract
Intensification of agriculture was attended with an increased productivity and efficiency
leading to significant increases in food production. However agricultural intensification can
have negative consequences such as increased erosion, lower soil fertility, reduced
biodiversity and a reduction in soil organic matter (SOM) content resulting in an inevitable
decline in the quality of agricultural soils. The application of compost can contribute to
agricultural sustainability as continuous and adequate use of compost with proper
management has been shown to have many advantages. Most of the research on compost
done so far, has focused on the use of municipal solid waste compost. Farm compost is
another type of compost. It is made of ingredients which are available on the farm like wood
chips and bark, manure, slurry, straw, crop residues, mowed grass and soil. The use of farm
compost is popular in organic farming and there is a growing interest to use it in non-organic
farming. However, there is a lack of information on the agronomic value and environmental
impact of farm compost. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of
repeated farm compost applications on crop yields and soil quality. The research was done on
a pre-established trial site. The experiment started in 2004 and combines a crop rotation of
potatoes, fodder beet, forage maize and Brussels sprout with the addition of farm compost.
The rotation takes four years and every crop is grown every year. While evaluating the soil
quality, it is important to integrate physical, chemical and biological indicators since the
correct functioning of a soil depends on an immense number of physical, chemical and
biological properties. In this present research, soil bulk density (physical), total organic
carbon and hot-water extractable carbon (chemical) and earthworms, microbial biomass-C
and nematodes (biological) were used as indicators to determine soil quality.
Repeated applications of farm compost increased soil organic carbon content, hot-water
extractable carbon, earthworm numbers, microbial biomass-C and reduced soil bulk density.
Our results confirm the potential benefits of farm compost application for soil quality by
improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soils. Furthermore the effect
of farm compost on crop yields became significant for all crops after the fourth year of
compost application underscoring the ability of compost amendments to support crop yields
over time.
Key Words: farm compost, indicators of soil quality, crop yields, long term field experiment