Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T10:18:14.615Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fate of weed seeds in spent mushroom compost following commercial mushroom production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2019

Kurt M. Vollmer Open the ORCID record for Kurt M. Vollmer [Opens in a new window]  and
Mark J. VanGessel
Kurt M. Vollmer*
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Georgetown, DE, USA
Mark J. VanGessel
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Georgetown, DE, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Kurt Vollmer, Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Delaware, 16483 County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Commercial mushroom producers grow several varieties of mushrooms on compost. Upon completion of the growing cycle, the spent mushroom compost is often sold as a soil amendment for both agricultural and homeowner use. Mushroom compost ingredients often come from fields infested with weeds, and in turn compost may spread unwanted weed seed. We conducted studies to assess the viability of weed seed following specific stages of the commercial mushroom production process. Weed seed was more likely to survive if the entire production process was not completed. However, no viable hairy vetch, Italian ryegrass, ivyleaf morningglory, Palmer amaranth, or velvetleaf remained at the end of the study. Although the seeds of most species were eliminated earlier in the composting process, ivyleaf morningglory required the complete process to eliminate 100% of the seed. These results indicate that spent mushroom compost is free of many weed species upon removal from mushroom houses and is unlikely to spread weed seed.

Keywords

William Johnson, Purdue UniversityHairy vetch, Vicia villosa RothItalian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum Lam.ivyleaf morningglory, Ipomoea hederacea (L.) Jacq.Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medik.mushroom, Agaricus bisporusMushroom productionmushroom bedscompost pasteurization
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 33 , Issue 6 , December 2019 , pp. 823 - 826
Copyright
© Weed Science Society of America, 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Buhler, DD, Hoffman, ML (1999) Andersen’s Guide to Practical Methods of Propagating Weeds and Other Plants. 2nd edn. Lawrence, KS: Weed Science Society of America. 248 p Google Scholar
Chauhan, BS, Abugho, SB (2012) Threelobe morningglory (Ipomoea triloba) germination and response to herbicides. Weed Sci 60:199–204 10.1614/WS-D-11-00137.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahlquist, RM, Prather, TS, Stapleton, JJ (2007) Time and temperature requirements for weed seed thermal death. Weed Sci 55:619–625 10.1614/WS-04-178.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daugovish, O, Downer, J, Faber, B, McGiffen, M (2007) Weed seed survival in yard waste mulch. Weed Technol 21:59–65 10.1614/WT-05-088.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dillon, SP, Forcella, F (1985) Fluctuating temperatures break dormancy of catclaw mimosa (Mimosa pigra). Weed Sci 33:196–198 10.1017/S0043174500082084CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eghball, B, Lesoing, GW (2000) Viability of weed seeds following manure windrow composting. Compost Sci Utiliz 8:46–53 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egley, GH (1990) High-temperature effects on germination and survival of weed seeds in soil. Weed Sci 38:429–435 10.1017/S0043174500056794CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grundy, AC, Green, JM, Lennartsson, M (1998) The effect of temperature on the viability of weed seeds in compost. Compost Sci Utiliz 6:26–33 10.1080/1065657X.1998.10701928CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larney, FJ, Blackshaw, RE (2003) Weed seed viability in composted cattle feedlot manure. J Environ Qual 32:1105–1113 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mirsky, SB, Wallace, JM, Curran, WS, Crockett, BC (2015) Hairy vetch seedbank persistence and implications for cover crop management. Agronomy J 107:2391–2400 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nether, DA, Weicht, TR, Dunseith, P (2015) Compost for management of weed seeds, pathogen, and early blight on brassicas in organic farmer fields. Agroecol Sust Food Syst 39:3–18 Google Scholar
Nishimoto, RK, McCarty, LB (1997) Fluctuating temperature and light influence seed germination of goosegrass. Weed Sci 45:426–429 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norsworthy, JK, Smith, KL, Steckel, LE, Koger, KH (2009) Weed seed contamination of cotton gin trash. Weed Technol 23:574–580 10.1614/WT-08-146.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[PDEP] Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (2012) Best practices for environmental protection in the mushroom farm community. Document no. 244-5401-001. Harrison, PA: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 52 p Google Scholar
Sawma, JT, Mohler, CL (2002) Evaluating seed viability by an unimbibed seed crush test in comparison with the tetrazolium test. Weed Technol 16:781–786 10.1614/0890-037X(2002)016[0781:ESVBAU]2.0.CO;2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schutte, BJ, Haromato, ER, Davis, AS (2010) Methods for optimizing seed mortality experiments. Weed Technol 24:599–606 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tompkins, DK, Chaw, D, Abiola, AT (1998) Effect of windrow composting on weed seed germination and viability. Compost Sci Util 6:30–34 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[USDA] US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program (2011) Guidance: Compost and Vermicompost in Organic Crop Production. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/5021.pdf. Accessed: January 30, 2019Google Scholar