Enhancing Soil Suppressiveness Using Compost and Compost Tea

Abstract

Scientific studies suggest that compost can be used to enhance the suppressiveness of soils. However, the less than desirable and inconsistent levels of disease suppression achieved with compost and compost tea have limited their use as tools for enhancing soil suppressiveness in conventional cropping systems. Such challenges appear to be linked to an incomplete understanding of the microbial ecology of compost-soil-plant and pathogen interactions. This chapter focuses on summarising current knowledge on enhancing soil suppressiveness using compost and compost tea. Predictors and mechanisms of disease suppression are discussed, and factors affecting the efficacy of compost and compost tea are highlighted. Furthermore, the potential application of molecular tools for better understanding the relationship between microbial properties of compost and compost tea and soil suppressiveness is highlighted, and core areas for research are identified.