Abstract
An effective thermophilic composting bioreactor, in which a homogenous distribution of temperature was maintained at 63-65°C by the addition of a bioavailable carbon and low mixing, was developed. The bioreactor operated on a mixture of tomato plant residues-wood shavings-municipal solid waste compost infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The initial C: N ratio and moisture content of the compost mixture were adjusted to 30:1 and 60%, respectively. The composting process was successful in destroying the tobacco mosaic virus. The results showed that the ability of the untreated virus (inoculum) to infect tobacco plants (150 LL L-1) was much higher than its ability to infect tomato plants (22 LL L-1). The TMV completely lost its ability to infect the leaves of susceptible hosts (tobacco and tomato plants) after 96 hrs of controlled thermophilic (63-65 oC) composting (or 126 h from the start of the composting process). Semilog plots of the ratio of the infection ability of the surviving virus to that of the initial inoculum (as measured by the number of local lesions) were developed. The decimal reduction time (the time necessary to reduce the infection ability of TMV by 1-log or 90%) was found to be 62.4 and 109.7 hrs for tobacco and tomato plants, respectively. The relatively short time required for complete inactivation of TMV in this study was achieved as a result of the extension of the thermophilic stage and maintaining a constant high temperature with a uniform temperature distribution by the continuous addition of the proper amount of bioavailable carbon (used cooking oil) and low mixing.
Highlights
Greenhouse tomato production represented 58% of the greenhouse total vegetable production in Canada in 2000, with a production area of 1550 hectares, yielding 182,736 tonnes[1]
The results indicated that tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) completely lost its ability to infect the leaves of the two hosts after 4 days of thermophilic composting (Fig. 8)
The results showed that the ability of the untreated virus to infect tobacco plants (150 LL L1) was much higher than its ability to infect tomato plants (22 LL L1)
Summary
Greenhouse tomato production represented 58% of the greenhouse total vegetable production in Canada in 2000, with a production area of 1550 hectares, yielding 182,736 tonnes[1]. Typical vegetable greenhouse operations produce 40-60 tonnes of organic residues per hectare per year, as a result of trimming and harvesting the crop, which must be disposed of properly[2]. Tomato crop is susceptible to various types of insects and diseases under greenhouse environments where optimum conditions of most pathogens are met. In addition to the damage caused by feeding on the plant, can spread bacterial, fungal and viral tomato diseases and provide infestation sites for others[3,4]. The spore forming bacterium Bacillus cereus, the fungi Pythium Fusarium, Cladosporium, Botrytis, Alternaria and Phytophthora and the viruses tomato yellow curl and tobacco mosaic are among the most reported plant pathogens affecting tomato crops under greenhouse conditions[5]. Viruses cause the most damaging tomato diseases and can reduce plant yield by 70-100%[6]. Improper disposal of these plant residues can contribute to recycling of plant pathogens[9]
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