Effects
of compost composition on Novamac performance
Benedict, K.1, Embree, C.G.2
Commercial apple orchards require a balanced supply of nutrients each
year. Thus maintaining a source for soil nutrition is essential in organic
apple production.
A trial was established in 2002 at the AAFC Kentville Research Centre
to evaluate three regional composts as sole nutrient sources for 13
years old ‘Novamac’ apple trees.
Three different sources of compost were compared with a commercial
fertilizer, ammonium nitrate. Composts used were: a dry flowable poultry
manure from a local egg producer; a compost made of fish-plant waste,
pulp mill waste and sawdust at AAFC Charlottetown; and Kings County
municipal compost, household compostable waste from residential collections.
Other than pH being slightly lower in the control treatment in 2003;
soil and tissue analysis and yield have not varied significantly between
treatments. All compost sources provided adequate growth, yield and
fruit size compared with the commercial fertilizer treatment and appeared
less likely to reduce pH.
1 AgriLogic, Port Williams, NS
2 Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre ,AAFC,
Kentville, NS, Canada
