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Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?

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Abstract

The morpho-physiological quality of seedlings is negatively affected by the wide scale use of forest soils as substrates in developing countries. With the objective of finding long-term sustainable supply of growing media, compost was produced from shredded branches of three fast growing species (Acacia cyanophylla (AA), Acacia cyclops (AS) and Eucalyptus gomphocephala (EG). The composting process covered three different periods over the course of a year. Pile temperatures were monitored daily and the composts were routinely sampled and analyzed for 19 chemical variables. Although composting is feasible year-round in arid climates, compost produced in the humid cool conditions of autumn, winter and early spring reaches the maturation phase more quickly than compost produced under hot, dry summer conditions. It also requires less turning and water. The evolution of the composting process and quality of the final product can be assessed using three chemical variables (C/N, pH, EC). Seed germination rates in the three types of compost were similar to that in a peat:vermiculite substrate and vigorous high quality seedlings were produced in the two acacia composts. However, compost-grown seedlings had significantly smaller shoots and root systems than those produced in peat substrate. Principal components analyses showed that the quality of a compost-based substrate is reproducible and that its final chemical composition can be predicted from its raw organic materials. The EG composts had higher pH than the acacia composts, whereas the AA and EG composts were higher in mineral salts than the AS.

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Acknowledgments

To the team of employees and research assistants at the Centre régional de la recherche forestière de Marrakech, Dr. Mohamed Abourouh of la Division de Recherche et d’Expérimentations Forestières à Rabat as well as Mario Renaud, Linda Veilleux and Denis Langlois of la Direction de la recherche forestière de Québec. We are also grateful to Dr. Papaniokhor Diouf for his assistance with the chemical tests and to Arthur Goussanou and Denis Talbot for their contribution to the statistical analyses. Financial support for this project was provided to Dr. Mohammed S. Lamhamedi by the ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec (project: 112310094) and to Dr. Hank Margolis by the Fonds de recherche sur la nature et les technologies (project 2008-FT-124372).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département des Sciences du bois et de la forêt, Faculté de Foresterie, de Géographie et de Géomatique, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, Université Laval, 2405 rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Mustapha Bakry, Hank Margolis & Debra C. Stowe

  2. Direction de la Recherche Forestière, Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec, QC, G1P 3W8, Canada

    Mohammed S. Lamhamedi

  3. Département des sols et de génie agro-alimentaire, Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation, Pavillon Comtois, Université Laval, 2425 rue de l’Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Jean Caron

  4. École Nationale Forestière d’ingénieurs BP 511, Tabriquet, Salé, Morocco

    Abdenbi Zine El Abidine

  5. Centre Régional de la Recherche Forestière de Marrakech, Circuit de la Palmeraie, Km 2.5, B.P 13360, Poste Annakhil, Ain Itti, Marrakech, Morocco

    M’Hammed Bellaka

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  1. Mustapha Bakry
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  2. Mohammed S. Lamhamedi
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  3. Jean Caron
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  5. Abdenbi Zine El Abidine
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Correspondence to Mustapha Bakry.

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Bakry, M., Lamhamedi, M.S., Caron, J. et al. Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?. New Forests 43, 267–286 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-011-9280-x

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