Waste Management Workgroup Annual Meeting

Funding for this meeting was provided by the UC IPM Project, USDA Smith-Lever IPM and California Integrated Waste Management Board. The California Integrated Waste Management Board has a web site which you might find useful: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov.


The Workshop was held on May 13, 1997 at the UC Davis Faculty Club and the UC Farm (on-campus). It was presented in conjunction with the Ornamental Horticulture Education Continuing Conference (OHECC) May 13-15, 1997 at UC Davis. The workshop was organized by Marcella Grebus, Dept. Plant Pathology, UCR; James Downer, UCCE, Environmental Horticulture, Ventura Co.; David Crohn, Dept. Soil and Environmental Sciences, UC Riverside; and Cheryl Wilen, UCCE, San Diego, Statewide IPM Project, San Diego. Its Purpose was to be an in-service training opportunity for advisors and other UC personnel interested in learning about the composting process and its use in plant production. Topics emphasized the role of composts in pest management.

Workshop Schedule:

8:00-8:10 Marcy Grebus, Plant Pathology Specialist, UCR Introduction to workshop
8:10-8:55 Maria de la Fuente, Farm Advisor, Bay Area Research and Extension Center Using microbial inoculants in composts to suppress soil-borne diseases.
8:55-9:40 Tim Hartz, Vegetable Specialist, UC Davis Compost use in row crop production.
Assessing Compost Maturity and Suitability for Agricultural Uses.
Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Nitrogen Supply and Microbial Activity.
9:40-10:00 BREAK
10:00-10:45 David Crohn, Waste Management Specialist, UC Riverside Overview of composting process and on-farm systems used in California.
10:45-11:05 Jean VanderGheynst, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis How agricultural end-users can assess compost quality.
11:05-11:25 Jim Downer and Richard Evans, Farm Advisor, Ventura Co. and Environmental horticulture Specialist, UC Davis Compost use in the landscape (demonstration).
11:25-12:45 LUNCH (provided)
12:45-1:45 Campus Student Farm
1:00-2:00 Will Brinton, Woods End Research Laboratory, Mt. Vernon, Maine Tools for testing compost maturity.
2:00-5:00 Hands-on Stations and Demonstrations:
Mark Van Horn, Composting Facilities Manager, UC Davis Tour of Facility and operation of compost equipment.
Clyde Elmore, Cheryl Wilen, Weed Science Specialist, UC Davis and IPM Advisor, Southern Region Bioassay for weed seed contamination and heat for weed seed kill.
Weed Seed Germination as Affected by the Composting Process.
Marcy Grebus, Plant Pathology Specialist, UC Riverside Bioassay for disease suppressiveness of potting mixes.