Suitability of municipal solid waste compost at different stages of maturity in vegetable crop production

The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of municipal solid w aste (MSW) compost as a source of organic matter in a medium for container plant cultivation and field production. In two experiments, conducted at th e Agricultural University of Wroclaw in 1994-1995, the suitability of MSW c ompost at various stages of maturity was tested. In a Dot experiment. fresh or 1. 3 and 9 months old compost was used at 0. 100 or 400 t ha(-1). In a field study the suitability of a twelve month old compost applied at rates of 30, 60 and 120 t ha(-1) was determined with butterhead lettuce as a fore crop, and white head cabbage as the main crop. Nine month old MSW compost was a valuable component of the medium for plant cultivation while the less mature composts reduced plant stands and final yield of lettuce. In field production only 120 t ha(-1) was a sufficient so urce of N for growth and yield of cabbage. For lettuce this fertilization r esulted in a lower yield then where nitrogen fertilization at the rate of 7 0 kg N ha(-1) was used. The contents of Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr in edible parts o f both species supplied with MSW compost were similar to the unfertilized t reatment.