Compost Effect on Greenhouse Cucumbers and Suppression of Plant Pathogen Fusarium Oxysporum

Abstract

Three windrows were constructed from a mixture of horse manure and soiled bedding collected from four equestrian centres in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, where stables were bedded with hemlock, spruce, and fir wood shavings. Composting was accomplished by turning the windrows twice a week during the first four weeks and once a week for eight additional weeks. At the end of 12- week composting period, windrows were combined and allowed to cure for three months. The cured compost was tested for the ability to promote cucumber (cv Enigma) seedling growth, supply micronutrients, and suppress mycelial growth of plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis cucumerinum (FORC). The heights and dry weights of cucumber seedlings grown in 20% compost in sawdust were significantly greater than those grown in sawdust alone. When fed with nutrient solutions lacking micronutrients, seedling grown in 20% compost gave significantly greater height, dry weight, and chlorophyll concentrations compared to seedlings grown in sawdust alone. The analysis of extractable micronutrients indicated that manganese, followed by zinc and boron, were the predominant micronutrients in horse manure compost. Both iron and molybdenum concentrations were present in less than one ppm and copper was present just above one ppm. There was a significant correlation (r² = 0.83) between in vivo chlorophyll measurements by SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter and the in vitro chlorophyll measurement by spectrophotometer. Thus in vivo measurements of SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter can be used to assess nutrient availability from compost to cucumber seedlings. Horse manure compost also contained bacteria that suppressed mycelial growth of FORC.