Results and Discussion
The N mineralisation was similar for the wheat and Mischanthus composts Fig.la and 1b despite the difference in material. In the hemp compost more mineralised N was observed reflecting the higher initial N content and thus much lower C N ratio. No significant differences was observed between the wheat and Mischanthus compost, whereas the hemp compost had significant higher NO3- and NH4 contents all through the composting experiment except the NH4 content at initiation. The high initial NO3-...
Composting
Composting is an aerobic process where microorganisms break down organic matter. During this process carbon dioxide, heat and water are produced Fig.1 . It is a dynamic process carried out by a rapid succession of mixed microbial populations. Under optimal conditions, composting proceeds through three phases 1 the mesophilic phase with moderate temperatures below 40 C lasting a few days, 2 the thermophilic phase characterised by high temperatures 40-70 C , which lasts from a few days to several...
Differences in degradability of plant species
Plant species differ in their anatomical arrangement. Roughly, differences in stem anatomy between monocots and dicots can be distinguished by the distribution of the vascular bundles Mauseth, 1988 . However, the distribution of the ground tissues also varies between species of both monocots and dicots and the monocots tend to have more cells with lignified cell walls outside the vascular tissue than do dicots. Besides being dependent on the chemical composition of the material which differs...
Management of the composting process
The initial content of mineralised N in compost used as growing media is important, as availability of nutrients is essential for seedling growth. Management of composting processes in order to control the mineralisation patterns can thus be of great importance. Control of a composting process and the properties of the end product can be achieved by at least two different strategies. One strategy is to adjust process parameters, such as moisture level, temperature or oxygen content Beck-Friis...
