: Nitrogen Mineralization From Composted Materials.

Composted materials are extensively used in small- and medium-sized organic farms for food and fiber production.  Information is needed on rates of nitrogen mineralization from these composted materials so that producers can develop better nitrogen budgets. A 214-day incubation was conducted at 30C with 14 composts to evaluate net nitrogen mineralization.  Of the 14 composts 3 immobilized nitrogen, 2 did not have a net effect on inorganic N, and 9 had daily, first-order rates of mineralization ranging from 0.00014 to 0.00084. The percentage of organic N mineralized ranged from 4 to 17%. These results indicate that composted materials can have varied effects on the availability of inorganic nitrogen.