HumOr
IWWG Working Group on
„Compost-Quality“
Chair: Erwin Binner / Ina Körner
The HumOr Task Group was established in October 2005 as a result of the 1st BOKU Waste Conference in Vienna, to focus on the definition of compost quality. The main aim of the Task Group is to take into account the positive effects of compost, focusing on long term effects, such as soil fertility, development of humus, plant health, carbon sequestration, and on short term effects like the role of nutrients in the growth of plants. The Task Group does not discuss criteria like contents of heavy metals, organic pollutants, phytotoxic effects, seeds or impurities. Quality is to be defined by the positive properties of compost, like for example:
• addition of organic substance as humus (carbon cycle)
• addition of nutrients (nitrogen cycle)
• availability of nutrients
• development, conservation and conditioning of aggregate-stability and structure of soil
• increase of filter- and puffer-capacity
• phytosanitary effects
• microbial life in soil
• binding of nutrients and contaminants by the way of action exchange and sorption
• growth-promoting and yield-increasing effects on plants under sub-optimal conditions
Topics of particular interest for the Task Group are:
• to define parameters describing the quality of compost
• to determine limit values for low quality, medium quality and high quality compost
• to investigate optimum rotting conditions in order to get the highest possible quality of compost
The Task Group is co-chaired by Erwin Binner from the BOKU University of Vienna, Austria (e-mail: e.binner@boku.ac.at) and Ina Körner from the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, Germany (e-mail: i.koerner@tu-harburg.de).
The HumOr Task Group currently features 26 members :
• F. Adani, DiProVe – University of Milano, Italy
• M.P. Bernal, Department of Soil Conservation and Organic Waste Management, University of Espinardo, Spain
• E. Binner, BOKU University of Vienna, Austria
• C. Cunha-Queda, Instituto Superior de Agronomia (DQAA), Portugal
• M. De Bertoldi, University of Udine, Italy
• A. De-Guardia, Cemagref, Environmental management and biological treatment of wastes research unit, France
• G. D´Imporzano, DiProVe – University of Milano, Italy
• E. Erhart, Bio Forschung, Austria,
• E. Favoino, Working Group on Composting and Integrated Waste Management, Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza, Italy
• J. Fuchs, Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FIBL), Switzerland,
• J. Heerenklage, Technical University of Hamburg Harburg, Germany
• S. Houot, I.N.R.A. Science du Sol Centre de Grignon, France
• I. Körner, Technical University of Hamburg Harburg, Germany
• C. Marques dos Santos Cordovil, Instituto Superior de Agronomia (DQAA), Portugal
• K. Meissl, BOKU University of Vienna, Austria
• L. Metzger, RITTMO, France,
• S. Monedero, CEBAS CSIC, Murcia, Spain,
• E. Montoneri, University of Turin, Italy
• R. Moral, Miguel Hernandez University, Spain
• B. Morvan, Cemagref, Environmental management and biological treatment of wastes research unit, France
• H. Müller, Kompostgüteverband Österreich (KGVÖ), Austria
• T. Niemi, Finnish Association of Landscape Industry, Finland
• B. Scaglia, DiProVe – University of Milano, Italy
• E. Smidt, BOKU University of Vienna, Austria
• E.I. Stentiford, University of Leeds, School of Civil Engineering, England
• J. Tintner, BOKU University of Vienna, Austria
Contact person:
MSc. Erwin Binner
e.binner(AT)boku.ac.at
Tel.: ++431 / 318 99 00 315