Abstract
Spent mushroom compost (SMC) contains a range of plant nutrients, including nitrogen (N), a large proportion of which originate from arable crops. Using SMC as an organic fertilizer for crops recycles these nutrients. Effective use of SMC in fertilizer regimes requires knowledge of the nitrogen fertilizer value (NFV) of the SMC, which is the amount of mineral fertilizer N required to give the same N yield, or marketable yield, as an application of SMC. The objectives of these experiments were to evaluate the effect of SMC on spring barley grain yield and quality and to determine its NFV. Experiments were carried out on two soils, light- and medium-textured, over 3 years (2008–2010). The experiments compared the yield response and N uptake of spring barley to fertilizer N with and without SMC. SMC application gave similar or higher grain yield and N uptake compared to fertilizer only treatments at corresponding fertilizer N rates. SMC had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on the economic optimum fertilizer N rate but the maximum yield was significantly (P < 0.05) higher where SMC was applied in two of the six experiments. Effects of SMC on grain quality were small. Results indicated that the NFV, expressed as a proportion of the total N applied in SMC, ranged from 0.05 to 0.29 kg kg−1 N applied in SMC, with a mean of 0.15 kg kg−1. It is concluded that SMC can contribute to the nitrogen nutrition of small grain cereal crops in high yield potential environments.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anon (2011) Decreet houdende wijziging van het Mestdecreet van 22 December van 2006. Belgisch Staatsblad 2011:27876–27894 (in Dutch)
Anon (2014a) European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. SI 31 of 2014. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Stationery Office, Dublin
Anon (2014b) Vijfde Nederlandse actieprogramma Nitraatrichtlijn (2014–2017). http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten-en-publicaties/rapporten/2014/12/02/5e-nederlandse-ap-betreffende-de-nitraatrichtlijn-2014-2017.html. Accessed 7 March 2015 (in Dutch)
Becher M, Pakula K (2014) Nitrogen fractions in spent mushroom substrate. J Elementol 19:947–958
Central Statistics Office (2015) Fertiliser price by type of fertiliser and year. www.cso.ie. Accessed April 25 2015
Chambers B, Lord E, Nicholson F, Smith K (1999) Predicting nitrogen availability and losses following application of organic manures to arable land: MANNER. Soil Use Manage 15:137–143
Conry MJ, Ryan P (1967) The soils of County Carlow. An Foras Taluntais, Dublin
Coulter B, Lalor S (2008) Major and micro nutrient advice for productive agricultural crops. Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford
Courtney RG, Mullen GJ (2008) Soil quality and barley growth as influenced by the land application of two compost types. Bioresour Technol 99:2913–2918
Curtin J, Mullen G (2007) Physical properties of some intensively cultivated soils of Ireland amended with spent mushroom compost. Land Degrad Dev 18:355–368
Duggan JA (2004) The use of spent mushroom compost as an organic manure. Dissertation University College, Dublin
Finney KN, Ryu C, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J (2009) The reuse of spent mushroom compost and coal tailings for energy recovery: comparison of thermal treatment technologies. Bioresour Technol 100:310–315
Gerrits J (1994) Composition, use and legislation of spent mushroom substrate in the Netherlands. Compost Sci Util 2(3):24–30
Jordan SN, Mullen GJ, Murphy M (2008) Composition variability of spent mushroom compost in Ireland. Bioresour Technol 99:411–418
Knezevic SZ, Evans SP, Blankenship EE, Acker RCV, Lindquist JL (2002) Critical period for weed control: the concept and data analysis. Weed Sci 50:773–786
Lau K, Tsang Y, Chiu S (2003) Use of spent mushroom compost to bioremediate PAH-contaminated samples. Chemosphere 52:1539–1546
Lory JA, Russelle MP, Peterson TA (1995) A comparison of two nitrogen credit methods: traditional vs. difference. Agron J 87:648–651
Maher M (1994) The use of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) as an organic manure and plant substrate component. Compost Sci Util 2(3):37–44
Maher M, Lenehan J, Staunton W (1993) Spent Mushroom Compost-Options for Use. Teagasc, Dublin
Maher M, Magette W, Smyth S, Duggan J, Dodd V, Hennerty M, McCabe T (2000) Managing spent mushroom compost: project 4444. Teagasc, Dublin
Mullen G, McMahon C (2001) The effects of land spreading and soil incorporation of spent mushroom compost on County Monaghan grassland soils. Ir J Agric Food Res 40:189–197
Nevens F, Reheul D (2005) Agronomical and environmental evaluation of a long-term experiment with cattle slurry and supplemental inorganic N applications in silage maize. Eur J Agron 22:349–361
Paredes C, Medina E, Moral R, Pérez-Murcia MD, Moreno-Caselles J, Angeles Bustamante M, Cecilia JA (2009) Characterization of the different organic matter fractions of spent mushroom substrate. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 40:150–161
Paul J, Beauchamp E (1993) Nitrogen availability for corn in soils amended with urea, cattle slurry, and solid and composted manures. Can J Soil Sci 73:253–266
Phan CW, Sabaratnam V (2012) Potential uses of spent mushroom substrate and its associated lignocellulosic enzymes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 96:863–873
Schroder J (2005) Revisiting the agronomic benefits of manure: a correct assessment and exploitation of its fertilizer value spares the environment. Bioresour Technol 96:253–261
Stewart D, Cameron K, Cornforth I (1998a) Effects of spent mushroom substrate on soil chemical conditions and plant growth in an intensive horticultural system: a comparison with inorganic fertilizer. Aus J Soil Res 36:185–198
Stewart D, Cameron K, Cornforth I (1998b) Inorganic-N release from spent mushroom compost under laboratory and field conditions. Soil Biol Biochem 30:1689–1699
Stewart D, Cameron K, Cornforth I, Main B (2000) Release of sulphate-sulphur, potassium, calcium and magnesium from spent mushroom compost under field conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 31:128–133
Tits M, Elsen A, Bries J, Vandendriessche H (2014) Short-term and long-term effects of vegetable, fruit and garden waste compost applications in an arable crop rotation in Flanders. Plant Soil 376:43–59
Tontti T, Nykänen A, Kuisma M (2009) Waste composts as nitrogen fertilizers for forage leys. Agric Food Sci 18:57–75
Wall D, Thorne F, Hackett R, Forristal D, Plunkett M, Spink J, Hennessy M, Shortle G (2015) Some agronomic, economic and environmental considerations relating to the maintenance of good agricultural and environmental condition over winter on Irish tillage farms. Teagasc, Carlow, p 17
Weber J et al (2014) The effect of a sandy soil amendment with municipal solid waste (MSW) compost on nitrogen uptake efficiency by plants. Eur J Agron 54:54–60
Wolkowski RP (2003) Nitrogen management considerations for landspreading municipal solid waste compost. J Environ Qual 32:1844–1850
Wuest P, Fahy H, Fahy J (1995) Use of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) for corn (maize) production and its effect on surface water quality. Compost Sci Util 3:46–54
Yohalem D, Harris R, Andrews J (1994) Aqueous extracts of spent mushroom substrate for foliar disease control. Compost Sci Util 2(4):67–74
Zadoks JC, Chang TT, Konzak CF (1974) A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14:415–421
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hackett, R. Spent mushroom compost as a nitrogen source for spring barley. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 102, 253–263 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-015-9696-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-015-9696-3