Product effectiveness

Last updated: 2 August 2023
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Sustainability Victoria is supporting the compost industry to expand the markets for recycled organic products in Victoria by:

  • collating evidence that shows the appropriateness, applicability and affordability of recycled organic composts, soil conditioners and mulches
  • improving the design, execution and consistency of field trials.

Past field trial collation, analysis and guide

Sustainability Victoria commissioned research in 2013 to evaluate all available recycled organic (RO) field trials in Victoria with the aim of building an evidence base and identify gaps for potential future work.

Within each of the key farming markets that were investigated at least one trial demonstrated either higher crop yields or better quality or both. Several researchers identified improvements to soil structure, chemistry and/or biology, sometimes substantial.

The Review of past recycled organic field trials in Victoria (1995–2013) is available to download below.

Review of past recycled organics field trials

In 2013, Sustainability Victoria commissioned research to evaluate all known recycled organics field trials in Victoria with the aim of building a defendable evidence base.

Due to the small trial samples across segments and varying objectives, inputs and measures, it has been impractical to provide a comprehensive repository of past field trials that Sustainability Victoria had intended.

What has become clear through this work, is the need for a standard approach to the design, implementation, measurement and reporting of field trials, either scientific or demonstration, to build the knowledge, expertise and acceptance of RO products.

Conducting compost demonstration trials

This basic guide provides compost producers, sellers and end users with considerations when developing on-farm demonstration trials in agriculture/horticulture for compost products.

Want to know more?

Get in touch with:

Organics Market Development