# On-Farm Composting of Hop Plant Green Waste--Chemical and Biological Value of Compost
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Biological Value of Compost
#### 3.3.2 Growth Test  
The results of the growth test were the total opposite of the germination test. The mean mass of one Chinese cabbage shoot was significantly higher (1.06 g) in compost EM and significantly lower (0.63 g) in compost BC (Table 5). There were no statistically significant differences in compost CON, where the average weight of one shoot was 0.83 g compared to control, and where the average weight of one shoot was 0.84 g. For the plant growth test, compost EM in combination with commercial substrate (1:3) proved to be the best mixture (Figure 5). While the average shoot mass and mass of one shoot were higher in  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Germination Test**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Growth Test**} \\ \hline  & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Garden Cress**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Radish (_Raphanus sativus_)**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Chinese Cabbage (_Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekrinensis_)**} \\ \cline{2-10}
**Compost** & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Mean Root**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Number of**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mean Root**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mean Root**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Number of**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Germination**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mean**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mean**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mean**} \\  & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Elongation**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Germinated**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Germinated**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Seeds**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Mess per**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**One Shoot**} \\  & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(mm)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Seeds**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(mm)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Seeds**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**(\%)**} \\ \hline CON & 21.2 b ** & 9.6 & 203 b & 31.7 a & 9.8 & 88 a & 100 & 8.66 & 0.83 b \\ BC & 22.2 b & 9.8 & 222 b & 32.8 a & 9.7 & 89 a & 95 & 6.07 & 0.63 a \\ EM & 16.4 a & 9.8 & 164 a & 30.8 a & 10 & 89 a & 90 & 9.48 & 1.06 c \\ Control & 9.5 & 10 & 100 & 34.5 & 10 & 100 & 92.5 & 7.78 & 0.84 b \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* Same letter in the column marks no statistical differences between composts (Duncan test, \(p<0.05\)).  
\end{table}
Table 5: Germination test with cress and radish seeds compared to average root length, number of germinated seeds and germination index (GI %) based on extracts of three different composts in comparison with control. On the right, Chinese cabbage growth test after 21 days of souring seeds: germination performance, total shoot mass and mass of one shoot based on different composts.  
compost EM, this sample had the lowest germination success. Effective microorganisms were added to this compost pile at the beginning. After one month of creation, the pile was turned twice before being covered with black foil. Bokashi bran in compost positively enhanced the vegetative development of Brassica plants, as had already been discovered by [PERSON] et al. [56].  
This test has proved to be more sensitive than the seed germination test due to nutrients which may have a greater impact on plant growth than on germination [10]. The more mature the compost, the better the growth of plants [31]. Chinese cabbage seeds appear to be more sensitive, which has already been observed by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [55].