title: Potential of chopped heath biomass and spent growth media to replace wood chips as bulking agent for composting high N-containing residues.
abstract: We investigated the potential of C-rich byproducts to replace wood chips as bulking agent (BA) during composting. The impact of these alternatives on the composting process and on compost stability and characteristics was assessed. Three BA (chopped heath biomass and spent growth media used in strawberry and tomato cultivation) were used for processing leek residues in windrow composting. All BA resulted in stable composts with an organic matter (OM) content suitable for use as soil amendment. Using chopped heath biomass led to high pile temperatures and OM degradation and a nutrient-poor compost with high C/P ratio appropriate for increasing soil organic carbon content in P-rich soils. Spent substrates can replace wood chips, however, due to their dense structure and lower biodegradation potential, adding a more coarse BA is required. Generally, the nutrient content of the composts with growth media was higher than the composts with wood chips and chopped heath biomass.
authors.affiliation: Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food, Plant Sciences Unit, Crop Husbandry and Environment, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Soil Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: jarinda.viaene@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viaene
authors.affiliation: Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food, Plant Sciences Unit, Crop Husbandry and Environment, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: bert.reubens@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reubens
authors.affiliation: Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food, Plant Sciences Unit, Crop Husbandry and Environment, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: koen.willekens@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Willekens
authors.affiliation: Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food, Plant Sciences Unit, Crop Husbandry and Environment, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: chris.vanwaes@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Waes
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: stefaan.deneve@ugent.be.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Neve
authors.affiliation: Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food, Plant Sciences Unit, Crop Husbandry and Environment, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: bart.vandecasteele@ilvo.vlaanderen.be.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vandecasteele
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012987:Soil; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Biochemical stability; Biomass valorization; Growing media; NIRS; OM degradation; Reusing cultivation substrates