Research & reports

· Diva portal (Dalarna University Library) · Global

"Compost-o-Scene" is an installation created with the ÖK Allotment Garden, featuring microbe compost developed under Jenny Salmson's guidance and daily care by "Compost Turners." The installation includes Salmson's compost recipe and care instructions, Malin Lobell's microscope photographs and screen-printed workwear, and Janna Holmstedt's video fieldnotes and soundscape, alongside tools and an art publication.

Abila Hena Anayet, Meor Mohammad Hilmi Bin Hamzah, Mohamed Zuhaili Mohamed Najib · Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering · Global

This study investigated factors affecting compost maturity, specifically temperature, pH, and moisture content, by comparing breakdown rates of eight regulated combinations against an uncontrolled sample. The analysis showed that volume loss over time was critical for determining compost maturity. Combinations with high temperature and varying moisture/pH (High Temp, High Moisture, Low pH; High Temp, Low Moisture, High pH; High Temp, Low Moisture, Low pH) exhibited the most volume loss by day 46, indicating faster maturation than the uncontrolled group.

Md. Khalilur Rahman, Md Alauddin, Tamanna Tabassum Turna, Md. Kaisar Rahman · Journal of Biodiversity Conservation and Bioresource Management · Bangladesh

A pot experiment on a Charfasson town rooftop in Bhola, Bangladesh, assessed the effects of inorganic fertilizers and decomposed poultry litter on boro rice growth and yield. Eight treatments with three replications were used, measuring agronomic parameters every 30 days and yield after harvest. Treatment T7 (3.0 t poultry litter ha-1 + N100P25K90 kg ha-1) resulted in the highest plant height (82.67 cm at 90 days), leaf number (37.67 at 120 days), panicle length (27.17 cm), grains per panicle (153.33), rice yield (51.53 g/pot or 5.67 t ha-1), and B:C ratio (4.51). Treatments T7 and T8 showed statistically identical results, with T7 achieving the overall best performance.

Atiqullah Sarwari, Abdieva Guljamal, Abdul-Bari Hejran, Mohammad Hassan Hassand · Bulletin of Toraighyrov University Chemistry & Biology series · Global

This study aimed to accurately measure soil quality parameters through the application of manure compost and bacteria fertilizers or their combination during maize development, in order to establish a quick and effective method for repairing deteriorated farmland soils. The research investigated the dynamic effects on the variety of community structure, basal respiration, and microbial count and biomass in soil.

Veena G Sonole, Soumya CB, A Meghana, Mahesh G Shetty · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Global

This review examines vermicomposting, a process using earthworms to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. Vermicompost benefits horticultural crops, improves soil fertility, and reduces the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Vermitechnology offers solutions for waste management, soil fertility, and sustainable agricultural practices in urban agriculture.

Moye Eric Kongnso · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Cameroon

A mixed-methods study in the West Region, Cameroon, examined compost use in urban farming through 265 household surveys, 11 in-depth interviews, and one focus group. While compost availability and technical assistance favor its use, small-scale farmers face significant technical, knowledge, financial, institutional, and policy constraints. State extension services prioritize mineral fertilizers over compost, and the current regulatory framework does not encourage compost use, leading to the persistence of traditional practices.

· KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · Sweden

As a continuation of the ongoing "Soil Correspondences" project, people engaged in local soils were invited to write letters to soil. The letters were read and composted during a ritualized working day to create an 18-day compost, forming an ecosocial sculpture. This activity learned from the composting practices of artists Etta Säfve and Jona Elfdahl from the artist duo Gylleboverket, and the resulting compost will be returned as probiotics to the local soil.

José Angel Vences-Martínez, Alejo Javier Lungo Rodríguez, Grecia Hernández Zamacona, Juan Ernesto Mendoza-Ramos, José Pepe Vargas Soberanis, José Domingo Cipriano Espino · REVISTA DE EDUCACIÓN AMBIENTAL Y SOSTENIBILIDAD · Global

An organic School Garden (HE) was designed through Environmental Education (EA) workshops for 13 sixth-grade primary school children. The project aimed to develop students' attitudes and skills regarding global environmental problems and their environment. Three EA workshops were designed: "Knowing my Garden," "Locating my garden," and "Composting," followed by two workshops for preparing and sowing the garden.

Carmen K. Blubaugh, R. Chesnut, Katherine Hagan · Journal of Applied Ecology · Global

This study investigated how organic composts mediate the effects of plant diversity across trophic levels over two field seasons, conducting 18 experiments in school gardens. Vermicompost strengthened a positive relationship between flower richness and foliar-feeding omnivores, but predators increased with flower richness and were not affected by vermicompost. The net outcomes of vermicompost and plant diversity were neutral for herbivores.

Zzimbe, Adrian, Fuoss, Kylie, Armas, Joelle, Blubaugh, Carmen · SPARK Scholarship at Parkland (Parkland College) · Global

This experiment examines how water stress and vermicompost interactively shape pest attraction in urban agriculture, which faces challenges like water access and pest pressure. Vermicompost is hypothesized to mitigate water stress by enhancing organic matter and humic acids to improve water retention, and to relieve pest pressure by enhancing plant defensive chemistry.

Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah, Nathanael Nii-Odai Laryea, Daniel Darko, Michael Mensah · Heliyon · Ghana (Accra)

In the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana, which generates about 2,291 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily (roughly 14% plastic), researchers analysed two municipal solid-waste composts, two dried sewage sludges and a reference soil with five replicates each. Microplastic loads were highest in sludge 1 at 4,316 ± 968 particles/kg, followed by compost 1 at 3,572 ± 1,196, compost 2 at 3,104 ± 418 and sludge 2 at 2,024 ± 562, against 232 ± 62 in the reference soil. Polyethylene, polyester and polypropylene dominated. The results show that returning urban organic waste to soil also carries microplastics into soils and crops. Limitations: only five sampling sources, and FTIR polymer identification applied to a 10% subsample.

Hall S.M., Tikku V., Heiger-Bernays W.J. · Environmental Health Perspectives, 131(11):115001 · Global

Examines equity and safety in urban organic-waste cycling through a case study of waste-to-compost activities and legislation in four US cities. It warns that contaminants such as pesticides, lead, and PFAS and inconsistent regulation can worsen racial inequities in access to urban farmland and safe compost, and recommends justice-oriented policy with multilingual education and proper waste disposal.

· Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery · Global

Examines decentralized in-vessel composting as an efficient technology for managing biodegradable solid waste.

· Agronomy · Global

Investigates the degradation of municipal waste through vermicomposting using a combination of Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus rubellus.

· Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · Greece

Life cycle assessment comparing source separation of biowaste, pay-as-you-throw systems and autonomous (decentralized) composting units in the Municipality of Katerini, Greece.

Akhi Akter, Md. Forhad Hossain, Jubayer-Al Mahmud, Nasrin Sultana, Md Maruf Hasan, Tahira Begum · Journal of Agroforestry and Environment · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This study investigated the impacts of vermicompost, sawdust, and cowdung on cauliflower growth and yield on a rooftop in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 2019 to July 2020. The experiment found that vermicompost (10 t ha-1) combined with recommended chemical fertilizers resulted in the highest yield (19.75 t ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (3.33). The results indicate that rooftops are suitable for cauliflower production using vermicompost.

Medardo Wilfredo Blanco Villacorta · Revista de Investigación e Innovación Agropecuaria y de Recursos Naturales · Global

This review examined general aspects of vermicomposting to explore its use in treating organic solid waste and enhancing urban agriculture. It analyzed 99 papers published between 2000 and 2022, retrieved from Google Scholar. The review found that vermicomposting is a low-cost ecotechnological process where earthworms transform organic solid waste into vermicompost, making it suitable for recycling organic waste in cities and supporting urban agriculture sustainability.

Juliana Marcela Santos Calderón, Julián David Coral Sanabria, Olga Ximena Aguilar Galvis · Innovando En La U · Global

This study investigated the effect of different amounts of vermicompost (0%, 20%, and 40%) on Batavia lettuce cultivation. It found that 20% vermicompost accelerated germination on the first day (P0.05). By day 40, 20% vermicompost influenced plant height and leaf number, resulting in an average height of 5.44 cm and 7.2 leaves by day 46 (P<0.05). These findings suggest that 20% vermicompost is the most recommended amount for Batavia lettuce.

Wulan Sari Sinaga, Desyana Millenia Limeranto, Eugenia Larissa Bakti Pangala, Kukuh Madyaningrana · Pro-Life · Global

This research investigated the macro nutrient content of fruit peel-based liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) and its effect on Pakcoy (Brassica chinensis L.) growth over 56 days, using a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replications. The study found that the macro nutrients in the fruit peel-based LOF did not meet the Ministry of Agriculture's quality standards. However, a 0.4 mL dose of the fruit peel-based LOF showed the best effect in supporting Pakcoy plant growth across all measured parameters.

Isaac Asirifi, Korbinian Kaetzl, Steffen Werner, Stefanie Heinze, Felix K. Abagale, Marc Wichern, Manfred Lübken, Bernd Marschner · Journal of soil science and plant nutrition · Ghana

This study evaluated the agronomic and soil fertility effects of using municipal wastewater or anaerobically treated wastewater for irrigation and applying biochar to a soil from the Guinea savanna agroecological zone of Ghana. In a pot trial, lettuce and carrot were grown on soil mixed with raw biochar, water-washed biochar, or biochar used as wastewater filter material at 20 t ha−1, and irrigated with untreated municipal wastewater, anaerobically treated wastewater, or clean water. Results indicated higher crop growth and yields (up to 90% increase) with untreated and anaerobically treated wastewater than clean water, with anaerobically treated wastewater being more beneficial than untreated wastewater (up to 10% increase). Combining raw biochar with anaerobically treated wastewater increased pH, CEC, and P availability in the highly weathered acidic soil.

Alpana Kusum · · Global

This chapter reviews composting, the conversion of organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, distinguishing between municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and industrial organic waste as source materials, and describing aerobic composting, anaerobic composting, and vermicomposting methods. It states that managing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, moisture, temperature, and aeration is important for effective composting, and lists benefits including improved soil fertility, nutrient recycling, water-holding capacity, erosion control, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. It covers applications in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, urban gardening, land reclamation, and bioenergy production, while also noting challenges such as managing contaminants, odor control, monitoring, and regulatory compliance.

Mahsa Tarashkar, Mansour Matloobi, Salman Qureshi, Akbar Rahimi · Ecological Indicators · Global

This study investigated the effects of tea waste compost on the growth traits of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and explored whether a clean carbon dioxide source from urban households could contribute to sustainable production. Tea waste gathered from urban households was decomposed for four months and mixed at 0–75% by volume with loamy garden soil; using a split-plot design, one greenhouse was enriched to an elevated CO2 concentration of 1500±100 ppm while a second was kept at the ambient level of 500±20 ppm. Results showed that elevated CO2 negatively affected radish yield, biomass accumulation, and vegetative growth parameters, while increasing volumes of tea waste compost, up to 75%, improved growth traits. At 75% tea waste compost, elevated CO2 had the same effect on growth traits as the normal level, showing a positive effect on total fresh weight but negative effects on total dry weight, leaf dry weight, and total leaf area. The study attributes the strongest support for radish growth at the highest compost volume (75%) to its high nitrogen content.

B. BOLOU-BI Emile, Philippe GUETY Thierry, TRAORE Adama, KONE Brahima · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Global

To evaluate the effect of biochar on tomato production in acidic soil, a complete randomized block design with 5 replications tested four treatments: 0% (T0, control), 8% (T1), 12% (T2) and 16% (T3) biochar application, measuring plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, fruit number and biomass. Plants receiving biochar (T1, T2, T3) were taller than the unamended control (T0); T1 plants averaged 12±2 fruits per plant, while T0 control plants produced no fruit at all, and T2/T3 fruit counts fell between the control and T1. Soil chemical analysis showed exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, pH, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and C/N ratio all higher than the initial soil, though treatments had no significant effect on soil enzymic activity. The study recommends recovering waste as an organic material source in urban horticulture and open-field cultivation to restore soil fertility.

· International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · Global

Systematic review positioning decentralized composting as a waste management tool in the context of new global trends.

· Agronomy · Global

Investigates replacing conventional hydroponic media such as cocodust with compost from locally sourced grocery waste, testing four mixtures (20–80% waste compost) on hydroponic lettuce over 35 days.