A gronomy J our n al • Volume 10 0 , I s sue 6 • 2 0 0 8 1605 ABSTRACT Th e hypothesis of this work was that uncomposted sheep wool and human hair could be used as nutrient source for nonedible high-value plants. Pot and fi eld experiments were conducted to assess uncomposted sheep wool-wastes and human hair-wastes as a nutrient source for high-value crops and to evaluate the eff ect of these waste materials on soil microbial community and mycorrhizae. In the pot experiments, addition of uncomposted wool-or hair-waste to soil increased yields from pot marigold (Calendula offi cinalis L.) and valerian (Valeriana offi cinalis L.). In the fi eld experiment, wool-waste was added to purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.) at rates of 0, 15.8, and 31.7 t ha −1 . Wool additions to soil increased foxglove yields over the next two seasons by 1.7 to 3.5 times relative to the control. Overall, addition of wool-or hair-waste to soil increased NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N in soil, increased total N (and protein) concentration in plant tissue, and stimulated soil microbial biomass. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analyses indicated that some of wool and hair in soil from the pot and fi eld experiments, aft er two seasons and several harvests, retained their original structure, a signifi cant concentration of S, some N, and were not fully decomposed. High rates of wool addition to soil in fi eld experiments resulted in shift s in the microbial community composition, while a low rate of wool-waste addition did not aff ect the microbial community relative to the unamended control. Our results suggest that the addition of uncomposted wool-waste or hair-waste of only 0.33% by weight to soil would support at least 2 to 3 harvests of crops, without the addition of other fertilizers. Uncomposted wool and hair-wastes can be used as a nutrient source for high-value crops.