Cattle Waste Research Articles

Nitrogen Budget and Ammonia Volatilization in Paddy Fields Fertilized With Liquid Cattle Waste

A study was conducted to determine nitrogen budget and ammonia volatilization in Japanese paddy fields supplemented with liquid cattle waste (LCW). A series of four, 2 × 10 m experimental plots was established in a paddy field with silty clay soil planted with forage rice (Oryza sativa L.). In addition to 195 kg N ha−1 of chemical or compost-based basal fertilizer, LCW was applied as an additional fertilizer at total nitrogen rates of 0, 255, 255, and 405 kg N ha−1 to the four plots C195, T450-1, T450-2, and T600, respectively. The mass balance showed that after application of LCW, 32–39% of total input nitrogen was assimilated into aboveground parts of rice plants, 11–15% leached downward, 2.5–4.0% was lost via ammonia volatilization, 1.6–5.1% was retained in roots or was adsorbed onto soil, and approximately 30–40% was lost via denitrification. Compared to animal waste slurries applied to unsaturated soils, nitrogen loss via ammonia volatilization was relatively lower, probably due to the dilution effect of floodwater. Nitrogen loss via denitrification was markedly higher in areas where LCW was applied compared to areas without LCW application. On the other hand, nitrogen leaching downwards represented a substantial loss and may be an environmental concern. However, after LCW application only, the ammonium ion was detected, at a maximum nitrogen concentration of 11.4 mg L−1. In this system, therefore, nitrogen has a different fate to that in animal waste slurries applied to unsaturated soil. In that situation, the major nitrogen form in leaching water is nitrate nitrogen, which moves readily into groundwater.

Biodegradation of coumaphos, chlorferon, and diethylthiophosphate using bacteria immobilized in Ca-alginate gel beads

Calcium-alginate immobilized cell systems were developed for the detoxification and biodegradation of coumaphos, an organophosphate insecticide, and its hydrolysis products, chlorferon and diethlythiophosphate (DETP). Optimum bead loadings for bioreactor operation were found to be 200 g-beads/L for chlorferon degradation and 300 g-beads/L for DETP degradation. Using waste cattle dip (UCD) solution as substrate, the degradation rate for an immobilized consortium of chlorferon-degrading bacteria was five times greater than that for freely suspended cells, and hydrolysis of coumaphos by immobilized OPH + Escherichia coli was 2.5 times greater. The enhanced degradation of immobilized cells was due primarily to protection of the cells from inhibitory substances present in the UCD solution. In addition, physiological changes of the cells caused by Ca-alginate immobilization may have contributed to increased reaction rates. Degradation rates for repeated operations increased for successive batches indicating that cells became better adapted to the reaction conditions over time.

Growth and fecundity of earthworms: Perionyx excavatus and Perionyx sansibaricus in cattle waste solids

Epigeic earthworms (Oligochaeta) have been appeared as key organisms to convert organic waste resources into value-added products, i.e., vermicompost and worm biomass. The assessment of reproduction potential of composting earthworm may be beneficial for large-scale earthworm production. Although, the waste minimizing potential of Perionyx excavatus and Perionyx sansibaricus is well proved, but little information is available about their fecundity rate. In this study, the efforts have been made to explore the growth and reproduction biology of P. excavatus and P. sansibaricus, using cattle waste solid as culture substrate, under laboratory conditions. Earthworms were weighed weekly and number of cocoons produced per week assessed. Biomass productions, fecundity, maturation, natality all were significantly different between P. excavatus and P. sansibaricus. The highest mean individual biomass was 767.7 ± 18.4 mg and 612.6 ± 20.6 mg, respectively in P. sansibaricus and P. excavatus. However, the highest cocoon numbers occurred in P. excavatus (492.3 ± 13.6), significantly higher than P. sansibaricus (269.6 ± 17.1). Fecundity was slightly different in both species: 1.38 ± 0.77 cocoons adult worm−1 week−1 (P. excavatus) and 1.58 ± 0.74 cocoons adult worm−1 week−1 (P. sansibaricus). The hatchling success rate (%) was highest in P. excavatus. Overall natality (juveniles adult−1 week−1) was highest in P. sansibaricus (1.52) than P. excavatus (1.26), which suggests that P. sansibaricus may be a better candidate for rapid propagation of earthworms in cattle waste solid.

Fate of Chlorate Present in Cattle Wastes and Its Impact on Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7

Chlorate salts are being developed as a feed additive to reduce the numbers of pathogens in feedlot cattle. A series of studies was conducted to determine whether chlorate, at concentrations expected to be excreted in urine of dosed cattle, would also reduce the populations of pathogens in cattle wastes (a mixture of urine and feces) and to determine the fate of chlorate in cattle wastes. Chlorate salts present in a urine-manure-soil mixture at 0, 17, 33, and 67 ppm had no significant effect on the rates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Salmonella Typhimurium inactivation from batch cultures. Chlorate was rapidly degraded when incubated at 20 and 30 degrees C with half-lives of 0.1 to 4 days. Chlorate degradation in batch cultures was slowest at 5 degrees C with half-lives of 2.9 to 30 days. The half-life of 100 ppm chlorate in an artificial lagoon system charged with slurry from a feedlot lagoon was 88 h. From an environmental standpoint, chlorate use in feedlot cattle would likely have minimal impacts because any chlorate that escaped degradation on the feedlot floor would be degraded in lagoon systems. Collectively, these results suggest that chlorate administered to cattle and excreted in wastes would have no significant secondary effects on pathogens present in mixed wastes on pen floors. Lack of chlorate efficacy was likely due to low chlorate concentrations in mixed wastes relative to chlorate levels shown to be active in live animals, and the rapid degradation of chlorate to chloride at temperatures of 20 degrees C and above.

Antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolates in cattle and house sparrows on two Czech dairy farms

Rectal smears of calves, cows and young bulls, as well as cloacal smears of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus), from farms at the villages of Šumice and Troskotovice, Czech Republic, were examined for E. coli resistant to 12 antimicrobials. The resistant isolates were tested for antimicrobial-resistance genes and integrons. Totals of 40% ( n = 183), 3% ( n = 95), 0% ( n = 33), and 9% ( n = 54) of Escherichia coli isolates from calves, cows, young bulls and house sparrows, respectively, were antimicrobial resistant. The following genes were identified in cattle E. coli isolates: tetA, tetB (isolates resistant to tetracycline), bla TEM (beta-lactams), strA, aadA (streptomycin), sul1, sul2 (sulphonamides), and cat, floR (chloramphenicol). Seven of 16 antimicrobial-resistant calf isolates from the Šumice farm possessed class 1 integrons with the aadA1 gene cassette integrated, 1 kb in size. On the Troskotovice farm, eight of 57 antimicrobial-resistant calf isolates possessed class 1 integrons. Integrons of 1.5 kb with the dhfr1- aadA1 gene cassette were found in four isolates, followed by a 1 kb integron with the aadA1 gene found in three isolates, and a 1.7 kb integron with the dhfr17-aadA5 gene cassette and the phenotype ASSuTSxtNaCipCCfG. The prevalence of resistant E. coli in calves compared to adult cattle was much higher and probably was influenced by oral antimicrobial usage in calves, feeding with milk and colostrum from treated cows, as well as mechanisms unrelated to antimicrobial drug selection. Although house sparrows lived together with the cattle and came into contact with cattle waste on the farm, they were not infected by resistant E. coli isolates with the same characteristics as those found in cattle.

Investigations of Ash Fouling with Cattle Wastes as Reburn Fuel in a Small-Scale Boiler Burner under Transient Conditions

Fouling behavior under reburn conditions was investigated with cattle wastes (termed as feedlot biomass [FB]) and coal as reburn fuels under a transient condition and short-time operation. A small-scale (30 kW or 100,000 Btu/hr) boiler burner research facility was used for the reburn experiments. The fuels considered for these experiments were natural gas (NG) for the ashless case, pure coal, pure FB, and blends of coal and FB. Two parameters that were used to characterize the ash “fouling” were (1) the overall heat-transfer coefficient (OHTC) when burning NG and solid fuels as reburn fuels, and (2) the combustible loss through ash deposited on the surfaces of heat exchanger tubes and the bottom ash in the ash port. A new methodology is presented for determining ash-fouling behavior under transient conditions. Results on the OHTCs for solid reburn fuels are compared with the OHTCs for NG. It was found that the growth of the layer of ash depositions over longer periods typically lowers OHTC, and the increased concentration of ash in gas phase promotes radiation in high-temperature zones during initial periods while decreasing the heat transfer in low-temperature zones. The ash analyses indicated that the bottom ash in the ash port contained a smaller percentage of combustibles with a higher FB percentage in the fuels, indicating better performance compared with coal because small particles in FB burn faster and the FB has higher volatile matter on a dry ash-free basis promoting more burn out.

Identifying Sources of Fecal Pollution in the Colville River Using Library-independent Genetic Markers

We examined the feasibility of using repeated sampling with binary detection of genetic markers as a means to categorize fecal pollution amongst three host sources at ten sample locations in the Colville River watershed (Washington State, U.S.A). Water samples from each site were collected eight times between June and August 2005. Total enterococci were enumerated after membrane filtration and resulting colonies were recovered for PCR testing with a panel of 16 genetic markers. The geometric mean for enterococci ranged from 38 to 945 CFU. Six of the markers were positive for all samples during the first three sample visits and four of the human markers were rarely encountered. Six markers identified four sites as impacted by human waste, four sites as impacted by cattle waste, and three sites as impacted by cervid waste. There are no gold standards by which to assess the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of BST markers in the field, but results from our sampling scheme were consistent with proximal land-use practices and permitted relative rankings between sites in a cost-effective manner.

Bioconversion of post harvest crop residues and cattle shed manure into value-added products using earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg

The post-harvest residues of some local crops, e.g. wheat ( Triticum aestivum), millets ( Penniseum typhoides and Sorghum vulgare), and a pulse ( Vigna radiata) were subjected to recycle through vermicomposting by using the epigeic earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg, under laboratory conditions. The crop residues were amended with animal dung; and three types of vermibeds were prepared: (i) millet straw ( S. vulgare + Pennisenum typhoides in equal quantity) + sheep manure (1:2 ratio) (MS), (ii) pulse bran ( Vigna radiata) + wheat straw ( Triticum aestivum) + cow dung (1:1:2 ratio) (PWC), and (iii) mixed crop residues (mixing of all types crop residues, used in this study) + cow dung in 1:1 ratio (MCR + CD). The fourth treatment was cattle shed manure (CSM). At the end, ready vermicompost showed lower organic C content and higher concentrations of other important plant nutrients. Organic C content decreased in the order: MCR + CD (27.6%) > PWC (22.8%) > CMS (22.6%) > MS (19.4%). The ready vermicompost obtained from MCR + CD vermibed showed the maximum increase (% of initial level) in content of total N (143.4%), available P (111.1%) and exchangeable K (100.0%). The end product showed reduction in C:N ration between the ranges of 60.7% (CSM) and 70.3% (MCR + CD), at the end. The composting earthworm E. eugeniae exhibited the highest values of biological parameters: maximum mean individual biomass (1261.25 ± 7.0 mg), biomass gain (955.84 ± 11.03 mg), growth rate (10.62 ± 0.10 mg wt. worm −1 day −1), cocoon numbers (87.67 ± 6.51), and reproduction rate (0.66 ± 0.01 cocoons worm −1 day −1) in CSM container, while MS vermibeds showed the lowest values of these parameters. During experimentation, the maximum mortality for E. eugeniae was recorded in MS (16.67 ± 7.63%) followed by CSM > PWC > MCR + CD. Results indicated that the C:N ratio of the substrate drastically influenced the growth parameters of E. eugeniae, and it showed the close relations with maximum individual biomass gain ( R 2 = 0.96), individual growth rate ( R 2 = 0.82), and reproduction rate (cocoon worm −1 day −1) ( R 2 = 0.72), in different treatments. This study clearly indicates that vermicomposting of crop residues and cattle shed wastes can not only produce a value-added product (vermicomposting) but at the same time acts as best culture medium for large-scale production of earthworms.

The Novel Porcine Lactobacillus sobrius Strain Protects Intestinal Cells from Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 Infection and Prevents Membrane Barrier Damage ,

Lactobacilli have a potential to overcome intestinal disorders; however, the exact mode of action is still largely unknown. In this study, we have used the intestinal porcine intestinal IPEC-1 epithelial cells as a model to investigate a possible protective activity of a new Lactobacillus species, the L. sobrius DSM 16698T, against intestinal injury induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 infection and the underlying mechanisms. Treatment of infected cells with L. sobrius strongly reduced the pathogen adhesion. L. sobrius was also able to prevent the ETEC-induced membrane damage by inhibiting delocalization of zonula occludens (ZO)-1, reduction of occludin amount, rearrangement of F-actin, and dephosphorylation of occludin caused by ETEC. RT-PCR and ELISA experiments showed that L. sobrius counteracted the ETEC-induced increase of IL-8 and upregulated the IL-10 expression. The involvement of IL-8 in the deleterious effects of ETEC was proven by neutralization of IL-8 with a specific antibody. A crucial role of IL-10 was indicated by blockage of IL-10 production with neutralizing anti-IL-10 antibody that fully abrogated the L. sobrius protection. L. sobrius was also able to inhibit the internalization of ETEC, which was likely favored by the leaking barrier. The protective effects were not found with L. amylovorus DSM 20531T treatment, a strain derived from cattle waste but phylogenetically closely related to L. sobrius. Together, the data indicate that L. sobrius exerts protection against the harmful effects of ETEC by different mechanisms, including pathogen adhesion inhibition and maintenance of membrane barrier integrity through IL-10 regulation.

농업시설 난방을 위한 축산폐기물의 고형 연료화 연구

This study was carried out to obtain the basic data for the development of the solid fuel with investigating the characteristics of mixtures of animal wastes and wasted coal and supply it as an energy resource to agricultural farms for heating of agricultural facilities. It was investigated for the characteristics of animal wastes (swine waste, swine waste with sawdust, cattle waste), wasted coal, the mixtures of animal wastes and wasted coal with or without mixing seawater. The characteristics of solid fuel according to the mixture ratio of animal wastes and wasted coal were analyzed. The effects of seawater affecting on calorific value and thermal pyrolysis of solid fuels were investigated. The results of this study are as follows: 1) The calorific value was improved with mixing seawater into wasted coal due to chemical reaction. 2) The diverse solid fuels of various calorific values can be made with adjusting the ratio of animal wastes and wasted coal. 3) Animal wastes and wasted coal had each different reaction temperature of thermal pyrolysis and the decreasing rate of weight. 4) The mixture of animal wastes and wasted coal would be ignited easily. Therefore, the solid fuel could be ignited more conveniently when seawater is mixed with it.

Evaluating environmental impacts of the Japanese beef cow–calf system by the life cycle assessment method

ABSTRACTThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the environmental impacts of a beef cow–calf system using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method and to investigate the effects of scenarios to reduce environmental impacts on the LCA results. The functional unit was defined as one marketed beef calf, and the processes associated with the cow–calf life cycle, such as feed production, feed transport, animal management, the biological activity of the animal and the treatment of cattle waste were included in the system boundary. The present results showed that the total contributions of one beef calf throughout its life cycle to global warming, acidification, eutrophication and energy consumption were 4550 kg of CO2 equivalents, 40.1 kg of SO2 equivalents, 7.0 kg of phosphate (PO4) equivalents and 16.1 GJ, respectively. The contribution of each process to the total environmental impact in each environmental impact category showed a similar tendency to the contribution of each process in each environmental category reported in the case of the beef fattening system as a whole. The results from this analysis showed that shortening calving intervals by 1 month reduced environmental impacts by 5.7–5.8% in all the environmental impact categories examined in the current study, and increasing the number of calves per cow also reduced environmental impacts in all the categories, although the effects were smaller.

Bio-Methanation of Anaerobic Fermentation of Undiluted Cattle Dung

Non-availability of sufficient water required for necessary dilution of input slurry for biogas plants is considered to be the major hurdle in popularization of technology. The problem can be solved through biomethanation of undiluted cattle dung. Experimentation with undiluted cattle waste through anaerobic fermentation showed good results. Along with substrate '"A" i.e. undiluted cattle dung, two substrates namely, '"8" (prepared by adding water equal to half of the weight of cattle dung and 9% active inoculum) and '"c" (prepared by mixing cattle dung with equal weight of water and 6% active inoculum) were experimented. Total biogas production from 3 kg substrate in 5.3 litre capacity glass bottle fermenters in 80 days were recorded as 130.7, 113.5 and 85.5 litre for substrate A, Band C, respectively. Biodegradability was found as 50.5, 58 and 59% for substrate A, 8 and C, respectively. Results revealed that the solid-state fermentation for longer hydraulic retention time (80 days) is comparable with the traditional practices of biogas production.

Cattle pen and slaughterhouse waste in Karachi

The demand for milk in the city of Karachi means that there are now thousands of cattle colonies in the urban area and within squatter settlements. There has been little planning for the disposal of dung and for environmental safety in the informal slaughterhouses that also proliferate.

Anaerobic biogasification of undiluted dairy manure in leaching bed reactors

Dry anaerobic digestion of high solids animal manure is of increasing importance since conventional slurry digestion is not an effective system for these manures. The investment costs for large-size reactors, costs for heating these reactors, handling, dewatering, and the disposal of the digested residue decrease the benefits of conventional slurry anaerobic digestion for high solids animal manure. Even though leaching bed reactors (LBR) constitute a promising option for dry anaerobic biogasification of animal manure, no study is cited in the literature for animal manure, excluding a single study on cattle waste which utilized a similar concept in a different experimental set-up, namely a packed bed digester. Therefore, this work was undertaken to investigate the anaerobic biogasification of undiluted dairy manure in LBRs. To this purpose anaerobic leaching bed reactors (ALBR) packed with a mixture of dairy manure, anaerobic seed and wood powder/chips were operated. The ALBRs were fed with water, and the leachate that was collected from their effluents was subjected to biochemical methane potential (BMP) experiments to determine the biogas production. The results revealed that LBRs can successfully be applied to anaerobic digestion of undiluted dairy manure with around 25% improvement in biogas production relative to conventional (slurry) anaerobic digesters.

Fractionation of soil phosphorus in organic amended farms located on savanna sandy soils of Venezuelan Amazonian

In Venezuelan Amazonian, some producers have established small agroforestry systems of production on sandy savanna soils by a long-term addition (more than 25 years) of animal manures at a low dressing (2 Mg ha−1) as fertilizer input. As a result of the organic fertilizers regime, the original savanna soil has been changed in terms of soil quality parameters. The main objective of the study was to investigate using sequential fractionation of soil P the impact of organic manures on the amount and partitioning of bioavailable P in soils of the Amazonas. Fractionation was carried out on Typic Ustipsamments amended with three different organic manure sources for extended periods. In general, after fertilization, all Pi and Po fractions increased significantly. The increase was striking in the resin-Pi and HCl-Pi, and among the organic P fractions, the changes were highest for the NaOH-Po sonicated and non-sonicated fractions. The total P increment was more relevant when soils were amended with chicken manure (1,194 mg Pt kg−1) and less relevant for the farm soil treated with compost (500 mg Pt kg−1), where the soil amended with cattle waste presented an intermediate value in total soil P (851 mg Pt kg−1). The importance of this field study was to assess the sustainability of long-term established organic management characterized by the low inputs, and this information is poor in the Amazonas.

Risk factors for sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections in FoodNet sites, 1999–2000

To monitor risk factors for illness, we conducted a case-control study of sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157) infections in 1999-2000. Laboratory-confirmed cases of STEC O157 infection were identified through active laboratory surveillance in all or part of seven states. Patients and age-matched controls were interviewed by telephone using a standard questionnaire. Information was collected on demographics, clinical illness, and exposures to food, water, and animals in the 7 days before the patient's illness onset. During the 12-month study, 283 patients and 534 controls were enrolled. STEC O157 infection was associated with eating pink hamburgers, drinking untreated surface water, and contact with cattle. Eating produce was inversely associated with infection. Direct or indirect contact with cattle waste continues to be a leading identified source of sporadic STEC O157 infections.

Biodegradation of chlorferon and diethylthiophosphate by consortia enriched from waste cattle dip solution

Chlorferon and diethylthiophosphate (DETP) are the hydrolysis products of coumaphos, an organophosphate pesticide. In this research, two consortia of bacterial cultures, one responsible for degrading chlorferon and the other for degrading DETP, were selectively enriched from waste cattle dip solution. The enriched cultures were used as inocula to grow biomass for biodegradation studies. For chlorferon degradation, the optimum biomass concentration was found to be 80 g/L, and pH 7.5 was selected as the optimal operating pH. Chlorferon degradation was characterized by substrate inhibition kinetics with parameter values estimated to be V m = 0.062 ± 0.011 mg/(g-biomass) h, K m = 21 ± 7 mg/L, and K Si = 118 ± 45 mg/L. For DETP degradation, the optimum biomass concentration was found to be 60 g/L, and the optimum pH was in the range of 7.5–8. DETP degradation was characterized by Michaelis–Menten kinetics with parameter values estimated to be V m = 1.52 ± 0.10 mg/(g-biomass) h and K m = 610 ± 106 mg/L.

Effect of Inoculum Addition Modes and Leachate Recirculation on Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Cattle Manure in an Accumulation System

The effect of both leachate recirculation (at 40 and 50 °C) and the mode of inoculum addition (at 50 °C) on the performance of a non-mixed accumulation (i.e. fed batch) system treating solid cattle wastes was investigated, using laboratory scale reactors at a filling time of 60 days. A relatively high methane production rate (MPR) and low stratification of intermediates occur with leachate recirculation. The leachate recirculation volume flow and methane production rate are smaller at 40 °C than at 50 °C: 0·31 and 0·7 l [CH4] l−1 [reactor] day−1, respectively. The increased MPR at higher temperature is at one hand caused by the increase of microbial activity, at the other hand by the lower viscosity causing the increased leachate recirculation volume. Dividing the inoculum in equal doses and distributing them with the feed positively affects the system behaviour as compared to adding the same inoculum amount at the reactor bottom at the start only. Without addition of inoculum a very poor system performance was observed. The average MPR was 0·2, 0·4 and 0·5 l [CH4] l−1 [reactor] day−1 for the reactor without inoculum, inoculum addition at the reactor bottom and inoculum addition in different equal doses, respectively.

Combination of a urease inhibitor and a plant essential oil to control coliform bacteria, odour production and ammonia loss from cattle waste

To evaluate urea hydrolysis, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production (odour) and coliforms in cattle waste slurries after a urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and a plant oil component (thymol) were added. Faeces from cattle fed a diet of 70% corn silage and 30% alfalfa haylage, urine and distilled water in the ratio 50 : 35 : 15 were blended at high speed for 1 min. Triplicate aliquots of 750 ml were amended with NBPT plus or minus thymol and reblended for 1 min, and were poured into 1.6 l wide-mouth jars covered 90% with a lid. After 56 days, thymol (2000 mg kg(-1) waste) in combination with NBPT (80 mg kg(-1) waste) retained 5.2 g of an initial 9.2 g of urea in cattle waste slurries, compared with less than 1 g of urea retained when NBPT was the only additive (P < 0.05). Another experiment using excreta from cattle fed 76.25% high moisture corn, 19.25% corn silage and a 4.5% supplement, blended at a low speed, gave a similar response with urea hydrolysis; and the two treatments, thymol alone and thymol in combination with NBPT, reduced VFA production (P < 0.01) and eliminated all coliform bacteria by day 1. A third experiment indicated coliforms disappeared in the no addition treatment after 8 days; however, they were viable at 6.6 x 10(4) CFU g(-1) waste beyond 35 days in the NBPT treatment. Thymol supplements the effect of NBPT by increasing the inhibitory period for hydrolysis of urea in cattle waste slurries and nitrogen retention in the waste. Thymol and NBPT offer the potential to reduce odour and pathogens in cattle manure, and increase the fertilizer value.

Effects of humic acids from vermicomposts on plant growth

The interactions between earthworms and microorganisms can produce significant quantities of plant growth hormones and humic acids which act as plant regulators. Experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of humic acids extracted from vermicompost and compare them with the action of commercial humic acid in combination with a commercial plant growth hormone, indole acetic acid (IAA) which is a commonly found in vermicomposts. In the first experiments, humic acids were extracted from cattle, food and paper waste vermicomposts. They were applied to a plant growth medium, Metro-Mix360 (MM360), at rates of 0, 250 or 500 mg humates kg −1 dry wt. of MM360, to marigold, pepper, and strawberry plants in the greenhouse. Substitution of humates ranging from 250 to 1000 mg kg −1 MM360 increased the growth of marigold and pepper roots, and increased the growth of roots and numbers of fruits of strawberries significantly. In other experiments, humic acids extracted from food waste vermicomposts were applied at a rate of 500 mg kg −1 dry wt. of MM360, singly or in combination with IAA at a rate of 10 −5 μM, to pepper seedlings. This experiment was designed to compare the differences in effects between the most effective dosage rate of humic acid from food waste, a phytohormone (IAA), and a commercial source of humic acid. The numbers of pepper flowers and fruits increased significantly in response to treatment with humic acid, IAA and a combination of humic acid and IAA. Peppers treated with humic acids extracted from food waste vermicomposts produced significantly more fruits and flowers than those treated with commercially-produced humic acids.