Acidulocompost, a Food Waste Compost with Thermophilic Lactic Acid Fermentation: Its Effects on Potato Production and Weed Growth

Acidulocomposting recycles food wastes by means of thermophilic lactic acid fermentation. This process can decrease ammonia volatilization and odor emission during processing and produce compost with high nitrogen (N) content. To compare the yield of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. ‘Dansyakuimo’) and the suppression of weeds with acidulocompost (AC) and those with conventional composts and inorganic fertilizer (IF), we conducted field experiments in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Potatoes were cultivated in 2008 and 2009 in an Andosol field treated with AC, conventional food waste compost (FWC), poultry manure compost (PMC), cattle manure compost (CMC), IF, or no fertilizer (NF). AC, but not the other treatments, delayed the emergence of potatoes, and suppressed the emergence of weeds, but it did not inhibit potato growth during the late growth stage or yield. Potato N uptake and tuber yield with AC were significantly higher than those with NF and similar to those with FWC, PMC, and IF. The N uptake efficiencies (ratio of difference between N uptake in the treatment and the control to added N) for AC (10.4–12.7% in 2008 and 2009) were similar to those for FWC and PMC (10.2–13.1%), higher than those for CMC (–1.3 to 6.3%), but significantly lower than those for IF (30.2–42.3%). Our findings indicate that AC has an N supply capacity similar to those of FWC and PMC and additionally suppresses the emergence and growth of weeds.