POULTRY RESIDUAL COMPOSTS - MATERIALS BALANCE AND CROP RESPONSE

This paper discusses compost production yields as a percent of raw pro duct nix using poultry litter, poultry processing plant dissolved air flotation skimmings, sawdust, wood chips and ground yard debris. Three different mixes were used and identified as Mixes 1, 2 and 3. Mixes 1 and 2 were produced using windrows and a windrow turner and Mix 3 was made using a covered in-channel compost turner. Mixes 1 and 2 were po ultry litter compost with a screened mass yield of 80 and 77 percent, respectively. Mix 3 was a dissolved air flotation compost with a scree ned mass yield of 40 percent. Results from plant experiments show poul try litter compost can be used successfully in potting mixes for poins ettia and chrysanthemum production. A compost produced from dissolved air flotation skimmings, a poultry processing waste, can be used in fi eld corn production but had little influence in the production of soyb eans.