Use of gorse compost as growing media in organic agriculture

Abstract

Gorse compost is presented as an interesting peat-substitutive substrate to be used in organic agriculture. It contributes to advance in sustainability of growing media and fulfills the requirements for award of the European Union eco-label. All the compost obtained had acceptable physical properties, although their water holding capacity was low; and they exhibited high contents in major nutrients. They are adequate for strawberry organic crop, but they´ll require supplementary fertilization during the growth period. They showed natural suppressiveness against Fusarium circinatum disease in P. radiata seedlings and combined with Trichoderma asperellum Strain T34 reduces pre- and post-emergence incidence of the disease, even in the least suppressive gorse composts.