EFFECTS OF STOCKPILED AND COMPOSTED MANURES ON GERMINATION AND INITIAL GROWTH OF CRESS (LEPIDIUM-SATIVUM)

Seed germination inhibition and plant injuries have been reported foll owing the application of fresh or partially composted livestock wastes to soils. Water extracts from different kinds of composted manures an d from stockpiled dairy manure were compared with soil solution and di stilled water for their effects on germination, initial plant growth a nd root development of cress (Lepidium sativum L.). Water extracts fro m composted and stockpiled dairy manures decreased the rare of germina tion compared to biomature composted manures. After 120 h of incubatio n, the number of normal seedlings and the growth of cress radicles wer e lower when exposed to composted or stockpiled dairy manures than to reference biomature composted manure water extracts, indicating that t he dairy manure composted outdoors during autumn and winter was not fu lly biomature. Other tests such as the optical density (E-4/E-6) and t he amounts of lipids extracted by diethyl ether and by chloroform from manures confirmed the immaturity of composted dairy manure.