Composted waste use on Florida vegetable crops: A review

In 1999, 23.8 million tonnes of solid waste were produced in Florida (about 4.3 kg per person per day). Annual production of compost made from Florida 's solid waste could be easily assimilated by the Florida vegetable crop in dustry (12.4 million tonnes of compost per year). Compost utilization in ve getable production has the potential to increase water and fertilizer conse rvation and reduce leaching from inorganic fertilizers in Florida's sandy s oils. Once a compost has passed regulatory health and safety standards, veg etable growers are interested in potential benefits of its use. The objecti ve of this study is to present information on composted waste materials as a soil amendment in vegetable crop production systems in Florida. Research has shown that amending sandy soil with compost can increase vegetable crop yields, although the response is not always predictable. The improved prod uction has been attributed to more favorable soil physical properties resul ting from increased soil organic matter rather than increased nutrient avai lability. If immature compost is applied and a crop is planted immediately, growth inhibition and stunting may occur due to phytotoxic compounds in th e compost.