Leaf mold compost reduces waste, improves soil and microbial properties, and increases tomato productivity
Kyle Richardville, Dan Egel, Andrew Flachs, Amit K. Jaiswal, D.J. Perkins, A. W. Thompson, Lori Hoagland
Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems
Urban Farm DB summary
A two-year field trial tested whether amending degraded urban soils with locally made leaf-mold compost could improve soil chemical and biological properties and support the survival of a plant-growth-promoting, disease-suppressive microbial inoculant (Trichoderma harzianum T-22) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. Compost-amended plots showed markedly higher active soil organic matter and marketable fruit yield in both years, lower foliar disease severity in year two, and reduced transplant-stress deaths from T-22 inoculation in one cultivar, but the authors caution that all composts must be tested for heavy metals or pathogens and that overapplication can reduce crop health.