With the increased interest in and demands for compost from commercial horticultural industries, composting is on the verge of becoming an economically feasible option for waste management. While horticultural producers can create some of the compost to meet their own needs, demand has grown beyond what they can supply for themselves and others. Compost Utilization in Horticultural Cropping Systems gives you the tools to meet the needs of this growing industry.Consider these statistics:Americans generate about 200 million megagrams of municipal solid waste per year The agricultural market for compost could reach over 680 million m3 per year Two horticultural areas together account for over 50% of compost use: landscaping (31%) and food crop production (25%)Now consider this: Proven benefits of compost use, including plant disease suppression, better moisture retention, supplying plant nutrients, and building soil organic matter Increased pressure on peat supplies and wider availability of compost products Creation of composting enterprises by the horticultural industry in response to its own needs, rising disposal fees for organic waste, and consumer demand for compost at retail centers The first book to establish a composite of the existing scientific knowledge on the use of compost in commercial horticultural enterprises, Compost Utilization in Horticultural Cropping Systems gives you a comprehensive review of the production, use, and economics of compost. It covers production methods, compost quality and the parameters associated with its measurement, and the biological, chemical, and physical processes that occur during composting. Rather than searching for information in various places, now you can find all the information you need in one convenient source.