Life Sciences Commons^™

Pest Management Benefits Of Compost Mulch In Apple Orchards, M. W. Brown, Thomas Tworkoski

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The effect of compost application on weed, fungal, and insect pest management in apple orchards was investigated from 1999 to 2001. Composted poultry manure was applied in June 1999 to half of two small research orchards which had previously received little or no management. The compost provided weed control for 1 year after application. There was no effect of compost on apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) infection. In a laboratory experiment, growth of the brown rot fungus (Monilinia fructicola) was significantly slower on a compost substrate than a sterilized compost substrate. The compost significantly affected arthropod abundance …