Vegetable residues from garden-produce markets as recyclable biomass for high-quality compost production

A managed composting system based on static pile aeration with temperature feedback control by forced-pressure ventilation was used in order to verify the possibility to achieve the biological stabilisation of vegetable waste separately collected in a metropolitan garden-produce market. Performances of the composting technique adopted in processing these very wet fermentable residues are discussed here. Physico-chemical and biological analyses of the vegetable waste treated and characterisation of the humified organic fertilizer obtained are also reported with a mention to some phytopathogenic aspects associated with this compost production.