HDC research review (4): compost without the smell

摘要

This summary first appeared in HDC News in September 2000. Horticulture LINK projects are funded by a combination of resources from industry and DEFRA (MAFF), in roughly equivalent amounts. Industry funding in this instance has come from the majority of British composters, both custom and grower-composters, as well as HDC. To many it has been a model collaboration between industry, MAFF, HDC and HRI. With the mushroom industry under continuous pressure over the environmental impact of mushroom composting, the development of odour-free composting techniques is a pressing need. Ralph Noble, Alun Morgan, Andreja Dobrovin-Pennington of HRI Wellesbourne and Phil Hobbs of IGER North Wyke describe the progress so far... This article outlines the progressmade during the first two years of a Horticulture LINK project. The overall aim is to produce composts which are free of odour pollutants and odour-generating manures. Success will not only reduce the environmental impact of the mushroom industry, finding alternative compost ingredients to conventionally treated straw and animal manures will also benefit organic compost production.