title: Microbially-enhanced composting of wet olive husks.
abstract: The production of a compost from olive wet husks is described. The process is enhanced through the use of starters prepared with virgin husks enriched with selected microbial cultures. This approach, with respect to composting without the use of starters, allows to achieve faster start of the process (10 vs. 45 days), deeper humification (humification rate 19.2 vs. 12.2), shorter maturation time (2 vs. 4-5 months) and better detoxification of the starting material. Furthermore, the compost produced can effectively substitute for turf as a cultivation substrate in horticulture at greenhouse level, with beneficial effects on nutraceutical traits of tomato fruits.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Università di Pisa, via Del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Echeverria
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cardelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bedini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colombini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Incrocci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agnolucci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cristani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saviozzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nuti
mesh_terms: D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D012987:Soil