I would bet that you end up with some chemical competition between the various fungi breaking down the compost vs. the bacteria present in the soils responsible for the diseases in question.
I do apologize, but I cannot seem to follow what you are really asking here. Homeostasis refers to a system that is 'stable' and self-regulating. If you are dealing with a soil borne disease, then it's more a question of determining if that disease is part of the system you are looking at.
To some extent it is a function of siderophores produced in compos during composting and to some extent due to various organic acids that are produced.
It a matter of decomposition of any organic mater, it creates a high temperature ( specially when there is enough moisture). So the high temp associated with the decomposition of O.M, will kill the pathogens, nematodes or we can say this process sterilizes the soil.
Composting kills the pathogens and also when the compost is added to field, the incidence of disease will be reduced by enhancing microbial activities of indigenous population. Indigenous population may have microbes capable of producing systemic resistance to plants and antibiotics that kills the soil pathogens.
Please Ms Onawunmi, I'm also doing some work on composting and would be glad to read your paper. U can reach me by email: [email protected], cc. [email protected]
The theory around OM decomposition, high soil temperation (in the prsence of moisture) and organic acids formation to explain the role may only be partly correct if the compost utilized was not a well cured compost. We are currectly engaged in similar investigation vi-a-vis bye-products quantified from nematode infested soils.