Face aux changements climatiques actuels et à l'augmentation des populations, la vulnérabilité du sol et des services écosystémiques qu’il rend s’accroît. En particulier dans les zones climatiques méditerranéennes, les modèles météorologiques prévoient une augmentation des sécheresses estivales et une augmentation des températures accompagnées par l’apparition plus fréquente d’évènements extrêmes de type canicule et sécheresse. Ces événements, leur intensité, leur durée et la soudaineté avec laquelle ils arrivent, sont de nature à affecter la structure et la fonction des écosystèmes avec des conséquences principalement négatives sur leur biodiversité et leurs fonctions et services. Par ailleurs, l’apport de compost au sol pourrait constituer une solution pour prévenir et atténuer les effets des sécheresses et des canicules dans les agrosystèmes méditerranéens. Les objectifs de ce travail étaient de caractériser les effets à court et à long-terme de perturbations de type canicule et/ou sécheresse appliquées à un sol méditerranéen agricole (structures et fonctions des communautés microbiennes édaphiques) et d’étudier les impacts d’épandage préalable de composts sur la réponse à court et à long-terme de ces communautés microbiennes (structures et fonctions) vis-à-vis d’un événement extrême de canicule-sécheresse. Nos travaux nous ont permis d’évaluer l’influence de chacun des facteurs température élevée et sécheresse dans la perturbation canicule et sécheresse associées sur les paramètres microbiologiques et physico-chimiques du sol. Les effets de cette combinaison des deux perturbations a induit des réponses similaires à l’une ou l’autre des perturbations appliquées individuellement en bénéficiant des effets positifs et négatifs sur la communauté microbienne de chaque type de perturbation. Nous avons mis en évidence une durée seuil de la perturbation canicule-sécheresse sur la résistance de la communauté microbienne induisant un changement de structure taxonomique et fonctionnelle. Cette déstructuration de la communauté microbienne est durable et n’a pas permis de résilience. L’ajout préalable de composts de différents types au champ a amélioré la structure physico-chimique et stimulé les microorganismes indigènes du sol. Cependant, face à des perturbations de type canicule-sécheresse (telles que nous les avons testées), il semble que l’apport préalable de compost n’ait pas d’effets majeurs sur l’amélioration de la qualité du sol en terme de stabilité microbienne, mais que l’historique saisonnier influencerait cette stabilité / Current climate change and increasing populations’ growth enhance soil and ecosystem services vulnerability. Meteorological models predicted an increase in summer drought and higher air temperature with more frequent occurrence of extreme events like heat-waves and drought. Intensity and duration of these events may affect structure and functions of ecosystems and thereby the biodiversity and the functions of soil. The amendment of soils with composts could be an alternative to prevent and mitigate the effects of drought and heat waves in the Mediterranean agroecosystems. The objectives of this work were to characterize the effects of short and long-term high temperature and/or drought perturbation on soil Mediterranean microbial communities (structures and functions) and to study the impacts of compost amendment on short and long-term functional and taxonomic responses of microbial communities subjected to drought and high temperature. Our work allowed us to evaluate the influence of each factor (drought or high temperature) within the combined perturbation (drought and high temperature) on microbiological and physico-chemical soil properties. The effects of this combined perturbation induced similar or different responses of each of perturbations applied individually involving positive and negative effects on the microbial community. This work had shown threshold resistance duration inducing a change in taxonomic and functional microbial community structure after high temperature and drought perturbation. This abrupt shift in the community response did not allow resilience. Compost amendments improved the physico-chemical soil structure and stimulated indigenous soil microorganisms. However, it seemed that seasonal soil variations history rather than compost amendment influences soil microbial stability

One of the motivating reasons for the development of hydroponics was avoidance of root pathogens. Hydroponics involves growing crops in relatively sterile media, isolated from the underlying soil which may have disease pressure. However, even when hydroponics is coupled with controlled environments such as high tunnels and climate-controlled greenhouses, soil-borne pathogens can enter the growing area and proliferate due to optimal environmental conditions for pathogen growth. Control of root pathogens is difficult and usually achieved through synthetic fungicides since few biocontrol options are available. Compost water extracts (CWE) have recently been gaining the attention of greenhouse growers because they may be a low-cost, environmentally friendly approach to control root disease. CWE are mixtures of compost and water incubated for a defined period of time, either with or without aeration, and with or without additives intended to increase microbial populations, which in turn suppress disease. Much anecdotal, but very little scientific, evidence exists describing CWE effect on suppressing soil-borne pathogens. The present study 1) examined the effect of an aerated CWE on disease suppression at the laboratory scale and in container studies using different soilless substrates, 2) investigated a phenotypic change at the root level caused by CWE that may be associated with disease suppression, and 3) isolated some factors in the production of CWE that affect the ability of a CWE to suppress disease. The common model pathogen-host system of Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi and pea was used to examine CWE-induced disease suppression, with information then being translatable to similar patho-systems involved in greenhouse crop production. In the first study, laboratory-based root growth and infection assays resulted in 100% suppression of F. solani when roots were drenched in CWE. These protected seedlings were then taken to a greenhouse and transplanted into fine coconut coir, watered with hydroponic nutrient solution, and grown for five weeks. At the end of the experiment, 23% of the shoots of the pathogen-inoculated, CWE-drenched seedlings remained healthy while only 2% of the inoculated seedlings without CWE drench remained healthy. All of the roots of the inoculated seedlings developed lesions, even those drenched in CWE. However, 29% of the CWE drenched roots were able to recover from disease, growing white healthy roots past the lesion, while only 2% recovered naturally. A shorter-term container study was conducted in the laboratory to determine the effects of CWE-induced suppression when peas were grown in different substrates and to determine if the hydroponic nutrient solution had an effect on the suppression. Peas were grown in sterilized fine and coarse coconut coir fiber and sand irrigated with water, with a second set of fine coir irrigated with hydroponic nutrient solution. Pea seeds with 20-25mm radicles were inoculated with pathogen and sown directly into CWE-drenched substrate and grown for three weeks. At the end of the experiment, 80%, 60%, 90%, and 50% of the shoots of the inoculated, CWE-drenched seedlings remained healthy when grown in fine coir, coarse coir, sand, and fine coir irrigated with hydroponic nutrient solution, respectively. Nearly 100% of the roots grown in coconut coir substrates again developed necrotic lesions but 83%, 87%, 100%, and 87% grew healthy roots beyond the disease region. The hydroponic nutrient solution had a negative effect on suppression, with a reduction of at least 30 percentage points. Sand demonstrated a natural ability to suppress F. solani. Only 23% of inoculated seedlings had dead or dying shoots by the end of the experiment (compared to 77-80% in coir substrates) and although all but one of the roots developed lesions, all were able to recover on their own with CWE. CWE further increased shoot health and also prevented 57% of the roots from developing lesions. In a second study, two different CWE were used to examine the effect on root border cell dispersion and dynamics in pea, maize, cotton, and cucumber and its relation to disease suppression. Dispersal of border cells after immersion of roots into water or CWE was measured by direct observation over time using a compound microscope and stereoscope. Pictures were taken and the number of border cells released into suspension were enumerated by counting the total number of cells in aliquots taken from the suspension. Border cells formed a mass surrounding root tips within seconds after exposure to water, and most cells dispersed into suspension spontaneously. In CWE, >90% of the border cell population instead remained appressed to the root surface, even after vigorous agitation. This altered border cell phenomena was consistent for pea, maize, and cotton and for both CWE tested. For most cucumber roots (n=86/95), inhibition of border cell dispersal in both CWE was similar to that observed in pea, maize, and cotton. However, some individual cucumber roots (8±5%) exhibited a distinct phenotype. For example, border cells of one root immersed into CWE remained tightly adhered to the root tip even after 30 minutes while border cells of another root immersed at the same time in the same sample of CWE expanded significantly within 5 minutes and continued to expand over time. In a previous study, sheath development over time in growth pouches also was distinct in cucumber compared with pea, with detachment of the sheaths over time, and root infection was reduced by only 38% in cucumber compared with 100% protection in pea (Curlango-Rivera et al. 2013). Further research is needed to evaluate whether this difference in retention of border cell sheaths plays a role in the observed difference in inhibition of root infection. In the third study, a series of investigations were conducted to isolate different factors that contribute to the suppression ability of a CWE by changing incrementally changing some aspect of the CWE production process. The basic aerated CWE recipe (with molasses, kelp, humic acid, rock phosphate, and silica) provided 100% protection of pea from root disease while the non-aerated basic recipe CWE provided 72% protection. Aerated CWE made of only compost and water resulted in 58% protection. It was found that molasses did not contribute to the suppression ability of the ACWE, while kelp contributed strongly. When soluble kelp was added by itself to the compost and water, the CWE provided 80% suppression. However, when all additives were included except molasses and kelp, suppression remained high (93%) indicating that humic acids, rock phosphate, and/or silica were also major contributors toward the suppression effect. Optimal fermentation time for ACWE was 24 hr to achieve 100% suppression, with increased time resulting in inconsistent suppression results. Optimal fermentation time for NCWE was 3 days or 8 days. These studies are important contributions to understanding the differences that might be expected in CWE suppression when growing in different substrates, some of the factors in the production of CWE that affects the ability of a CWE to suppress disease, and the phenotypic effect CWE has on the root zone of plants and the possible relationship between that effect and disease suppression.

Organically overfertilization cambisoil modal after conversion to kultizem horticka was further fertilized in version P compost industry (communal) and version H compost humus (agricultural) containing 13,72% of humus and 22,78% of the primary organic matter over a period of 6 years dose 50 t / ha annually. Fertilization with an actual compost H in organically fertilized soil reflected not only by increasing the ion exchange capacity of the soil, but also a significant improvement of water regime of soil, manifested by a quarter greater ability to maintain the water in the soil and 44% lower amount of water, physiologically ineffective.

Le taux de matière organique (MO) d'un sol influence ses propriétés physico-chimiques et son activité biologique. La dynamique de cette MO, particulaire ou dissoute, influence également la concentration de CO2 atmosphérique et joue ainsi un rôle sur les changements climatiques. Une des réponses à la diminution du stock de carbone dans les sols est l'apport de matière organique exogène. Le carbone organique dissous, intervenant dans les principaux mécanismes de préservation et/ou dégradation de la matière organique du sol (MOS), n'est cependant que peu pris en compte lors de l'étude de ces apports exogènes. Le principal objectif de cette étude est de mieux caractériser les MOD présentes dans les horizons de surface d'un sol. Les eaux collectées par bougies poreuses sur quatre profondeurs (15 à 100 cm) proviennent de parcelles amendées en 2006 (150 t/ha de compost de déchets verts et bio-déchets) et de parcelles témoins sous prairie. Les eaux ont été caractérisées par l'intermédiaire des techniques analytiques globales et moléculaires (spectrofluorimétrie, chromatographie d'exclusion de taille, thermochimiolyse, CG/SM). Les résultats de cette étude ont mis en évidence pour les deux types de parcelles une variabilité de la MOD (taille et polarité) suivant la profondeur et la saison. Le suivi de la MOS/MOD, et plus particulièrement des composés lipidiques, a permis de confirmer la séquestration du carbone organique exogène. La caractérisation de la MOD s'avère ainsi être un indicateur de la qualité des sols. / Organic matter (OM) content influences soil physical and chemical properties and its microbial activity. OM, particulate or dissolved, plays a key role on climate changes. Exogenous organic matter amendments are used to tackle the various problems associated with the decrease in soil carbon content. Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), involved in main mechanisms of preservation and / or degradation of organic matter is however only scarcely taken into account in the study of such amendments. The main objective of this study was to better characterize the DOM present in the surface horizons of a soil. The percolating waters collected from 2006 amended plots (150 t/ha of green waste and bio-waste compost) and reference plots are characterized by global and molecular techniques (fluorescence spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, themochemolysis, GC/MS). Size and polarity of DOM molecules change depending on seasons and depths. These analyses reveal exogenous organic carbon sequestration. DOM study is thus part of the quality soil indexes.

The objective of this study was to develop a gas measurement chamber for the comparison of emissions from different dairy manure storage facilities. Compost bedded pack (CBP) barns are a loose housing system in which cows rest on an intensely managed compost pack. Sawdust is the primary material added to the system, along with manure and urine inputs from the cows, and the pack is stirred one to two times daily. Maintaining a high level of aerobic microbial activity in the pack is critical for cow health. Previous dairy emissions work has not included compost bedded pack barns; it was expected that the largely aerobic system would have a different emissions profile than other manure storage systems. A measurement chamber was developed to determine emission fluxes from the compost bedded pack barn surface. Infrared and electrochemical sensors measuring ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide obtain headspace gas concentrations, temperature, and humidity each second. The relatively lower cost of each chamber, as compared to photoacoustic and gas chromatography systems, will allow a greater number to be deployed to more accurately represent the spatial variation within the system.

Du fait des activités industrielles anciennes et du recyclage croissant des produites résiduaires organiques d’origine urbaine dans les sols agricoles, des composés organiques persistants, parmi lesquels les hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) se retrouvent présents dans les sols français. Dans le cadre de la gestion des sites et sols pollués et de l'évaluation des risques associés aux HAP dans l'environnement, une meilleure connaissance du comportement, de la dissipation, du transfert ou de l’accumulation des HAP dans les sols est alors indispensable. Dans ce but, il est utile de développer une nouvelle génération de modèles numériques basés sur le couplage flexible de l’ensemble des processus majeurs contrôlant la dynamique des HAP dans le sol. Notre travail repose sur la mise en œuvre, dans le cadre de la plateforme VSoil de l’INRA (https://www6.inra.fr/vsoil/The-Project), d'un modèle global interdisciplinaire de dynamique des HAP dans les sols, applicable à l’échelle du terrain et couplant des modules décrivant les principaux processus physiques, biochimiques et biologiques. Ce modèle associe d’une part des modules déjà publiés simulant la décomposition des matières organiques exogènes apportées, le transfert d'eau, le transfert de chaleur et le transport de solutés dans des conditions climatiques réelles, et d’autre part, un nouveau modèle représentant spécifiquement la réactivité des HAP.La démarche numérique adoptée dans ce travail a alors été de i) calibrer le modèle de terrain en utilisant des paramètres déterminés à partir de données expérimentales obtenues au laboratoire et complétées avec une partie des données de terrain obtenues sur une courte période, ii) tester et valider le modèle calibré au terrain à l'aide des données de terrain complémentaires sur des périodes plus longues, iii) tester différentes hypothèses de variation de disponibilité et scenarios climatiques ou d’apports répétés de différents composts sur le devenir de HAP dans le sol. Nos résultats montrent que le modèle peut prédire de manière satisfaisante le devenir des HAP dans le sol sur une gamme de contamination allant de parcelles agricoles amendées avec des matières organiques faiblement contaminées jusqu’à d’anciens sites industriels fortement contaminés et permettent alors de mieux appréhender les processus contrôlant la dynamique des HAP dans ces différents systèmes. / Due to former industrial activities and the increasing recycling of organic waste products from urban areas in agricultural soils, increasing amounts of persistent organic compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), are to be found in French soils. In the framework of the management of polluted sites and soils and the risk assessment of PAH transfer in the environment, it is essential to better understand the behavior, dissipation, transfer or accumulation of PAH in soils. For this purpose, there is a need to develop a new generation of numerical models based on the flexible coupling between the processes describing PAH dynamics in soil. Our work presents the development and assessment of such model. It is based on the implementation of an interdisciplinary global model, and applicable at the field scale, for PAH in soil by coupling modules describing the major physical, biochemical and biological processes influencing the fate of PAH in soil, with modules that simulate water transfer, heat transfer, solute transport, and organic matter transformation under real climatic conditions. The coupling is performed using the «VSoil» modeling platform of INRA (https://www6.inra.fr/vsoil/The-Project). The steps of our modelling study are the following: i) calibrate the model at the field scale using previously estimated parameters at the lab-scale and completed with field data on a short period of time, ii) test and validate the calibrated model using field experimental data on mid term periods, iii) test different hypotheses of variation of availability and climatic scenarios or repeated applications of different composts on the fate of PAH in soil. Our results show that the model can adequately predict the fate of PAH in soil over a wide range of contamination ranging from agricultural plots amended with weakly contaminated composted organic wastes to old industrial sites heavily contaminated. This new tool allows, therefore, a better understanding of the processes controlling the dynamics of PAH in these different systems.

In a large agricultural operation, such as the one at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, disposal of deceased animals is an immense issue. The cost of transporting and rendering every dead animal is inhibitory to the general function of the agricultural operations and their thin budget. Therefore, we propose that composting mortalities could be an economical alternative. Composting is a recognized method for taking animal waste products along with carbon waste and turning it into a pathogen-free, nutrient-rich topsoil. Carcass composting is in fact performed in other countries and states to varying degrees of success. However, the California EPA limits carcass composing to only private land. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to determine the efficacy of killing pathogens by composting using bench top composting models. Ultimately, our goal is to provide “proof of concept” data in order to gain permission for a full-scale carcass compost pile to be set up at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Using thermo tolerant Salmonella senftenberg as an indicator organism, we performed bench top trials of traditional and carcass compost in the lab. Samples were inoculated with S. senftenberg and kept at 55°C for 15 days in accordance with the California EPA and Test Method for the Examination of Composting and Compost (TMECC). Samples were then plated and processed for multiple tube analysis and most probable number. Samples were also partitioned for a viability qPCR with propidium monoazide (PMA) to compare to the classic techniques. Using these methods we were then able to track and produce thermal death time data for S. senftenberg in both traditional and carcass compost. By comparing the types of compost, we were able to determine that the composting method presented by the California EPA and the TMECC produces safe, pathogen free compost, even when inoculated carcasses were introduced. However, even with removal of dead cells by PMA, qPCR did not outperform the classical microbiological methods for as tracking pathogen killing.

A compostagem é uma solução inteligente para a destinação final de resíduos orgânicos. O presente trabalho baseou-se na hipótese de que é possível, por meio da aplicação de compostos orgânicos ao solo, alcançar patamares de produção agrícola equivalentes aos obtidos pela adubação nitrogenada mineral. O experimento foi realizado em vasos com Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu em dois solos, um de textura argilosa e outro de textura média. Objetivou-se avaliar a dose de nitrogênio (N) proveniente de composto de lixo, composto de lodo de esgoto e composto de lodo de dejetos suínos que fosse equivalente à dose de 150 mg dm-3 de N proveniente da adubação nitrogenada mineral. Para isso, as doses de composto orgânico foram determinadas com base nas frações de mineralização de N, estimadas em 30, 15 e 7%. Assim, para a obtenção de 150 mg dm-3 de N mineralizado, foram aplicadas doses de, respectivamente, 500, 1.000 e 2.143 mg dm-3 de N total, provenientes dos compostos orgânicos. Foram realizados três cortes no capim Marandu, sendo mensurados, a cada corte, o teor de clorofila, o número de folhas e de perfilhos, a área foliar, a biomassa e o teor de N total da parte aérea das plantas. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância, teste de médias e análise de regressão. Foi possível, por meio dos compostos orgânicos, obter resultados de adubação nitrogenada equivalentes, e até superiores, aos obtidos pela adubação mineral, dependendo do tipo de composto, a dose aplicada e a escala temporal. De modo geral, os tratamentos com composto de lodo de esgoto, a partir da dose 1.000 mg dm-3 de N, foram superiores ao com adubação mineral no primeiro corte, equivalentes no segundo corte, e superiores no terceiro corte do capim Marandu. A quantidade de N liberada ao sistema por meio dos compostos de lixo e de lodo de dejetos suínos chegou aos patamares dos tratamentos com adubação mineral no segundo corte, na dose 2.143 mg dm-3 e no terceiro corte, na dose 1.000 mg dm-3 de N. As frações de mineralização de N que geraram resultados mais próximos aos da adubação nitrogenada mineral foram, em média, de 15% para o composto de lodo de esgoto e de 7% para os compostos de lixo e de lodo de dejetos suínos / Composting is a smart final destination for organic residues. The present work was based in the hypothesis that it is possible to obtain similar agricultural productivity levels applying organic compounds on soil in comparison with mineral nitrogen application. The experiment was conducted in pots with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu in two soil types, with clay and sandy clay loam texture. The objective was to evaluate if estimated doses of nitrogen (N) from waste compost, sewage sludge compost and and pig manure compost, when applied on the soil, was equivalent to 150 mg dm-3 of mineral Nitrogen fertilizer. The doses of organic composts applied were based in estimations of N mineralized of 30, 15 and 7%, correspondent, respectively, to doses of 500, 1000 and 2143 mg dm-3 of total N. The grass was harvested three times, on each time the chlorophyll level, the number of leaves, number of branches, leaf area, biomass and total N were measured in the aerial part of the plants. The results were submitted to variance analysis, and regression analysis. It was possible, trough the N fertilization by organic composts, to obtain similar and even superior results, in comparison to the mineral N, depending on type of compost, the applied dose and the time frame. The treatment with sewage sludge compost in the dose of 1000 mg dm-3 of N was superior to the mineral N in the first harvest, similar in the second and superior in the third harvest of the grass. The waste and pig manure composts reached similarity with the mineral fertilization in the second harvest, in the dose of 2143 mg dm-3, and in the third harvest, in the dose of 1000 mg dm-3 of N. The mineralization fractions of N found for the composts that were the most similar the mineral fertilization were, in average, of 15% for the sewage sludge compost and 7% for the waste and pig manure compost

Im EU finanzierten Projekt "Die Verwendung von kompostiertem Haushaltsmüll in der vorstädtischen Landwirtschaft von Westafrika als Pflanzenschutzmittel", das in Rufisque im Senegal, Conakry und Timbi Madîna in der Republik Guinea sowie Lomé und Tsévié im Togo von 1999 bis 2002 stattfand, wurden die Daten für diese Arbeit erhoben. Diese Orte sind hauptsächlich von Wolofs, Fulfulbe, Sussus und Ewes bewohnt. Ihre Größe variert zwischen 4 000 und 1,4 Mill. Einwohner. Es wurden städtische Gemüsebau- und vorstädtische Ackerbausysteme untersucht. Ziel der Arbeit ist die Einführung von Kompost als Pflanzenschutzmittel zu erleichtern. Dazu wurden Bereitschaften untersucht: die der städtischen Haushalte Biomüll zu sammeln und die der vorstädtischen Bauern Kompost aus Haushaltsmüll als Pflanzenschutzmittel einzusetzen. Dafür wurden standardisierte Befragungen von 1802 Bauern und 1775 Haushalten durchgeführt. Etwa 10 % dieser Antworten wurden in 18 logistischen Regressionsmodellen mit Interaktionen des 1. Grades analysiert. Den Modellen wurden die qualitativen Ergebnissen aus den standardisierten, halbstandardisierten und unstrukturierten Interviews sowie Beobachtungen und Einzelfallstudien gegenübergestellt. Daraus läßt sich schließen, dass es keine traditionellen Hemmnisse gegen Biomüllsammlung und -verarbeitung, sowie die Verwendung von Kompost aus Müll gibt. Wilde Deponien stören die Einwohner. Sie sind bereit sich finanziell an einer Müllsammlung zu beteiligen. Für die Mülltrennung brauchen sie zusätzliche, an Klima und Menge angepasste Mülltonnen. Die Haushalte wollen geringere Müllgebühren bezahlen, wenn sie Müll trennen. Müllsammen ist rentable. Eine transparente Buchführung der Müllgebühren ist unerlässlich für die Nachhaltigkeit. Für eine Kompoststation eignet sich am besten eine Kleinstadt mit vielen Müllproblemen und noch ohne Müllsammelorganisation sowie mit vielen Gemüsebauern mit einem hohen Krankheitsbewußtsein. Die Kompostherstellung ist sehr arbeitsintensiv und nur rentable, wenn der Kompost zu Pflanzenschutzmittelpreisen verkauft werden kann. Kompost ist in Westafrika bekannt. Die Verwendung von Kompost als Pflanzenschutzmittel gegen bodenbürtige Krankheiten ist eine Neuerung. Daher benötigt eine Kompoststation ein sehr wirksames Marketing. / By the EU financed project called "Utilisation of composted waste from urban households in the peri-urban agriculture for plant protection purpose in West Africa" with took place in Rufisque in Senegal, Conakry and Timbi Madîna in the Republic of Guinea the same as Lomé and Tsévié in Togo from 1999 to 2002, the data which are the base of this study have been collected. These towns are mainly settled by Wolofs, Fulanis, Sussus and Ewes. The size of the towns varies from 4 000 to 1.4 mill inhabitants. Production systems of urban vegetable farmers as well as peri-urban rain fed farmers have been investigated. The objective was to analyse the willingness of household, to collect organic waste, and of farmers, to use composted household waste for plant protection, to facilitate the introduction of compost for phytosanitary purpose. Hence standardised interviews of 1802 farmers and 1775 households have been done. About 10 % of the answers have been standardised in a way which allowed analysing them in 18 models of logistic regression with the first level of interactions. The results of the models have been compared to the qualitative results of the standardised, the half standardised and the unstructured interviews as well as the observations and the case studies. We find out that: There are no traditional obstacles inhibiting the collection of organic waste, the processing and the use of compost. Wild waste heaps disturb the people. They are ready to participate financially on waste collection. For the separation of waste the households need bins adapted to the climate and to the amount of waste. Anyway households separating waste would like to pay reduced waste fees. The waste collection is actually a rentable economic activity. A conflict avoiding accountability for waste fees is essential for the long lasting of a waste collection organisation. An optimal place for a compost station is a small rural town with many waste problems, without an institutionalised waste collection and with many vegetable farmers aware of diseases. The production of compost is very labour-intensive and rentable only if the compost is sold on organic pesticide prices. Compost is well known in West Africa. The innovation would be the application of compost for pest treatment of soil related diseases. Therefore a compost station needs a very efficient marketing.

A compostagem é uma solução inteligente para a destinação final de resíduos orgânicos. O presente trabalho baseou-se na hipótese de que é possível, por meio da aplicação de compostos orgânicos ao solo, alcançar patamares de produção agrícola equivalentes aos obtidos pela adubação nitrogenada mineral. O experimento foi realizado em vasos com Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu em dois solos, um de textura argilosa e outro de textura média. Objetivou-se avaliar a dose de nitrogênio (N) proveniente de composto de lixo, composto de lodo de esgoto e composto de lodo de dejetos suínos que fosse equivalente à dose de 150 mg dm-3 de N proveniente da adubação nitrogenada mineral. Para isso, as doses de composto orgânico foram determinadas com base nas frações de mineralização de N, estimadas em 30, 15 e 7%. Assim, para a obtenção de 150 mg dm-3 de N mineralizado, foram aplicadas doses de, respectivamente, 500, 1.000 e 2.143 mg dm-3 de N total, provenientes dos compostos orgânicos. Foram realizados três cortes no capim Marandu, sendo mensurados, a cada corte, o teor de clorofila, o número de folhas e de perfilhos, a área foliar, a biomassa e o teor de N total da parte aérea das plantas. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância, teste de médias e análise de regressão. Foi possível, por meio dos compostos orgânicos, obter resultados de adubação nitrogenada equivalentes, e até superiores, aos obtidos pela adubação mineral, dependendo do tipo de composto, a dose aplicada e a escala temporal. De modo geral, os tratamentos com composto de lodo de esgoto, a partir da dose 1.000 mg dm-3 de N, foram superiores ao com adubação mineral no primeiro corte, equivalentes no segundo corte, e superiores no terceiro corte do capim Marandu. A quantidade de N liberada ao sistema por meio dos compostos de lixo e de lodo de dejetos suínos chegou aos patamares dos tratamentos com adubação mineral no segundo corte, na dose 2.143 mg dm-3 e no terceiro corte, na dose 1.000 mg dm-3 de N. As frações de mineralização de N que geraram resultados mais próximos aos da adubação nitrogenada mineral foram, em média, de 15% para o composto de lodo de esgoto e de 7% para os compostos de lixo e de lodo de dejetos suínos / Composting is a smart final destination for organic residues. The present work was based in the hypothesis that it is possible to obtain similar agricultural productivity levels applying organic compounds on soil in comparison with mineral nitrogen application. The experiment was conducted in pots with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu in two soil types, with clay and sandy clay loam texture. The objective was to evaluate if estimated doses of nitrogen (N) from waste compost, sewage sludge compost and and pig manure compost, when applied on the soil, was equivalent to 150 mg dm-3 of mineral Nitrogen fertilizer. The doses of organic composts applied were based in estimations of N mineralized of 30, 15 and 7%, correspondent, respectively, to doses of 500, 1000 and 2143 mg dm-3 of total N. The grass was harvested three times, on each time the chlorophyll level, the number of leaves, number of branches, leaf area, biomass and total N were measured in the aerial part of the plants. The results were submitted to variance analysis, and regression analysis. It was possible, trough the N fertilization by organic composts, to obtain similar and even superior results, in comparison to the mineral N, depending on type of compost, the applied dose and the time frame. The treatment with sewage sludge compost in the dose of 1000 mg dm-3 of N was superior to the mineral N in the first harvest, similar in the second and superior in the third harvest of the grass. The waste and pig manure composts reached similarity with the mineral fertilization in the second harvest, in the dose of 2143 mg dm-3, and in the third harvest, in the dose of 1000 mg dm-3 of N. The mineralization fractions of N found for the composts that were the most similar the mineral fertilization were, in average, of 15% for the sewage sludge compost and 7% for the waste and pig manure compost