Compost tea: Preparation, utilization mechanisms, and agricultural applications potential – A comprehensive review

Abstract

Compost tea is a high-concentration organic liquid fertilizer produced by mixing matured compost with extraction liquid, followed by microbial decomposition and fermentation. Compost tea is rich in nutrients, organic matter, beneficial microorganisms, and their metabolic products. This review examines 2433 compost tea-related articles from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection from January 2000 to January 2024. It combines bibliometric analysis to introduce the fundamental concepts and development of compost tea, its characteristics, classification, and influencing factors, as well as its application and the mechanisms through which it affects crop growth and disease suppression. Compost tea can improve soil structure and properties, enhance crop growth, and suppress plant diseases. However, the effectiveness of compost tea is closely related to the parameters of its preparation technology. Animal-based compost tea generally demonstrates better disease suppression compared to plant-based compost tea. The compost-to-water ratio for preparing compost tea typically ranges from 1:1–1:50. Aerobic compost tea extraction usually takes 1–3 days, while non-aerobic compost tea requires about 7–14 days. Currently, compost tea application is limited, lacking standardized production processes and specialized functional fertilizers. The suitable crop varieties, application amounts, application methods, and efficacy for growth promotion and disease suppression of compost tea from different feedstocks are still unclear. Therefore, further research and optimization of compost tea preparation methods and application parameters are needed in the future. This paper integrates relevant studies to provide guidance and recommendations for the further promotion of compost tea application.