Define compost.

Define compost.

• A. A synthetic fertilizer.
• B. A byproduct of anaerobic digestion.
• C. A type of plastic mulch.
• D. The end product of composting; a humus-like material used to improve soils.

Answer: (D)

Compost is the stable, humus-like material produced when organic matter undergoes controlled aerobic decomposition by microbes. This end product turns yard waste, kitchen scraps, and other organic residues into a dark, crumbly substance with an earthy odor that is used to improve soil by increasing organic matter, soil structure, moisture retention, and nutrient availability. It is not a synthetic fertilizer, nor is it the byproduct of anaerobic digestion (which yields digestate), and it isn’t a plastic mulch.

Compost is the stable, humus-like material produced when organic matter undergoes controlled aerobic decomposition by microbes. This end product turns yard waste, kitchen scraps, and other organic residues into a dark, crumbly substance with an earthy odor that is used to improve soil by increasing organic matter, soil structure, moisture retention, and nutrient availability. It is not a synthetic fertilizer, nor is it the byproduct of anaerobic digestion (which yields digestate), and it isn’t a plastic mulch.