The Use of Compost from Post-Consumer Wood Waste Containing Microbiological Inoculums on Growth and Flowering of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum Ramat./Kitam.)

Abstract

The purpose of the conducted study was to assess the possibility of using composts made from post-consumer wood containing waste of fibre boards and microbiological inoculums in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum Ramat./Kitam.) ‘Jewel Time’ cultivation. Five variants of composts (marked ask, KK, AL, AL + K, EM, EM + K) were prepared, each variant was duplicate. All variants consisted of fibreboard waste (60% of its weight), mixed with mature compost made from fibreboard waste (30%), Protohumovit-biologically active organic fertilizer with the chemical composition of cattle manure (3%), starch, sugar, corn oil (together 7%). A biological inoculum “Activit Las” was added to one half of reactors. “Activit Las” (produced by Atlas Planta S.C, Bydgoszcz) is biological inoculum containing of selected bacteria, actinobacteria and fungi, that is intended to accelerate the composting of lignocellulosic materials, including wood from forest and sawmill. The second part of reactors was implemented by microbiological inoculum (EM) from Greenland Technologia EM (Trzcianki, Poland). A Bio Best (produced by Atlas Planta S.C, Bydgoszcz) formulation of chicken manure was added to some of the reactors containing EM and Activit Las. Compost without any additional microorganisms and microelements was control for experiment. Plant quality depended on the dose of compost used as well as on the type of microbial inoculations used during the composting process. The addition of composts containing the EM microbial inoculation to peat stimulated the formation of inflorescences and inflorescence buds. It also had a positive effect on the size and number of leaves. An additional effect of using compost obtained from wood waste is the reduction in the consumption of natural resources such as peat.