May compost lead to increased horticultural production on mixed farms?
2013
Zmaić, K. | Loncarić, R. | Sudarić, T.
In Croatia small mixed farms (arable crop production and animal husbandry) with lack of horticultural production dominate. Besides that, producers have problems with manure disposal considering ecological requirements from EU and CAP. Mostly, farm manure is not disposed in a proper way and often farmers consider it as undesirable by-product. Moreover, production of compost from livestock manure almost does not exist in Croatia. Horticultural production is insufficient for domestic needs regardless convenient agro-ecological conditions. Compost production from stock manure could solve two problems on mixed farms (livestock combined to vegetable production): solving manure disposal problem while use of compost in horticulture could contribute to increased farm income (via compost selling, nursery production or horticultural production). The different models of mixed farms were analyzed from economic point of view: no manure management, only mineral fertilization of vegetables (NM), cattle manure combined with mineral fertilization of vegetables (MV), compost combined with mineral fertilization of vegetables (CV), farm produced compost sold on market, vegetables mineral fertilized (CM). The best economic results were obtained in CV and MV systems mostly due to positive impact of added organic fertilizers on yield what affects economic results as well.
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