1997 Ornamentals Research Report - AUrora - Auburn University

6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Use of Composted
Organic Waste Products
and Fertilizers in Alabama
Nurseries
BRIDGET K. BEIE AND CATHERINE M. WALKER
Disposal of organic waste products has come under
close scrutiny by government agencies because there is a
potential for nitrates to contaminate ground and surface
water supplies and to overload landfill capacities. As a
result, some industries are seeking new markets in which to
distribute wastes. The horticulture industry has the potential
to use recycled organic wastes as a growing medium
component. Benefits of using composted organic waste
products in landscape plant production have been reported.
Composted organic waste can be at least a partial
substitute for peat moss in growing media. Poultry waste
products in media can reduce fertilizer and water
requirements and may improve the quality of water
resources. Composted plant and animal waste additives to
growing media can potentially reduce nutrient loss in
irrigation run-off, thus reducing pollution of water resources
by improving media water- and nutrient-holding potential.
METHODS
The objective of this study was to determine how
certified Alabama nurseries purchased growing media and
fertilizer for their businesses in order to examine the extent
of composted waste product use (i.e. animal manures, tree
and grass trimmings, etc.) and environmental practices
implemented in the horticultural industry. Certified
nurseries are container and field producers, wholesalers,
,and retailers licensed by the state to grow and sell
ornamental plant material and represent the population of
businesses recognized by the state as nurseries.
Researchers obtained a mailing list of certified
nurseries from the Alabama Department of Agriculture in
January 1995. A survey with open- and closed-ended
questions was designed to ascertain practices related to the
use of organic waste products and recycling. Surveys were
pre-tested using three Alabama nurseries and modified to
clarify responses. Two modified surveys were mailed to
each of 648 certified nurseries on Jan. 12 and 26, 1995. Of
these, 214 usable responses were returned, yielding a
response rate of 33 %.
RESULTS
Businesses were first asked what types of plants
they produced and marketed in 1994. Of 214 respondents,
37% produced deciduous trees, 43% produced deciduous
shrubs, 38% produced perennials, 4% produced Christmas 13% ued oher ompoents
trees, 49% produced evergreens, 37% produced annuals, 5%
produced aquatic plants, 33% produced vines and ground
covers, and 24% produced other plants not listed.
Concerning those plants businesses marketed, 45% sold
deciduous trees, 49% sold deciduous shrubs, 47% sold
perennials, 19% sold Christmas trees, 58% sold evergreens,
46% sold annuals, 13% sold aquatic plants, 42% sold vines
and ground covers, and 23% sold other plants not listed.
Plant material grown and sold was quite diverse.
We also asked what percentage of 1994 sales was
wholesale and what percentage was retail. The mean
percentage of sales that were wholesale was 61%. Thirtyfour
percent of respondents said 100% of their sales were
wholesale, whereas 16% said no sales were wholesale.
Twenty percent said 1-49% of their sales were wholesale,
and 30% said 50-99% of their sales were wholesale.
Nurseries appeared to be vertically integrated with a
blend of production and sales functions in the same
business.
When asked what percentage of the businesses'
1994 total sales were made outside of Alabama, 43% of
respondents said that none of their sales were made outside
the state. Twenty-four percent said between 1-49% of sales
were out-of-state, and 33% said 50% or more of sales were
made outside Alabama. Only one respondent sold all of his
or her product outside Alabama. The mean percentage of
sales made out-of-state was 29%. Exports caused sales to
have regional, if not national, significance.
Businesses were asked how they purchased
growing media for plant production. Twenty-one percent
bought all their media prepackaged and ready to use. Fortyone
percent mixed all their media on-site. Thirty-eight
percent bought some media prepackaged and ready to use
and mixed some of their own on-site.
Another question concerned the number of cubic
yards of media purchased and mixed for plant production in
1994. Twenty-three percent reported they used 50 cubic
yards or less, and 18% reported they used 51 to 100 cubic
yards. Twenty-nine percent said they used 101 to 500 cubic
yards, 11% said they used between 501 and 1,000 cubic
yards, 15% said they used between 1,001 and 10,000 cubic
yards, and 6% said they used more than 10,000 cubic yards
of media in 1994. The average media used by respondents
was 28,860 cubic yards.
Respondents were then asked, if they mixed some
of their media, which components they used. Sixty-four
percent used sphagnum peat moss, 17% used wood chips,
11% used composted animal manure, 13% used sawdust,
27% used vermiculite, and 54% used sand. In addition, 17%
used field soil, 81% used bark, 1% used peanut hulls, 2%
used rice hulls, 2% used Styrofoam, 36% used perlite, and