The Normalization of Seed Germination Test: An Effective Method to Assess Compost Maturity

Mature compost, as an alternative substance of chemical fertilizer, could provide nutrients for plant growth, improve soil structure and inhibit the diseases. Germination index (GI), as an essential parameter for reflecting the compost maturity, varied with different test methods, which led to the diverse compost products quality and restricted the development of composting technology. Therefore, aiming to make the GI better service for the compost quality detection, some dominant factors related to GI value were summarized based on the previous literatures, especially seed type and the ratio of compost to water extraction. Furthermore, the optimum parameters were confirmed through a single factor experiment. After analyzing, it revealed that the 1:10 (g/mL) and Daucus carota var. sativa L was suggested for the seed germination test. Besides, the seed germination test was supposed to proceed in incubator for 48 h at 25 degree celsius in the darkness.