Compost Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Commercial horticulture in many regions of the world depends upon Sphagnum peat as a potting-media substrate, but extracting peat has serious environmental consequences. Composts may be able to serve as effective substitutes for peat and offer potential environmental advantages. The suitability of compost as potting media depends upon the raw materials as well as processing methods used. This study includes two related experiments—one with beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and the other with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)—aimed at assessing the potential viability of farm-produced, food-residuals compost as a replacement for peat-based potting media in the production of organic vegetable transplants. The experiments were conducted in 2021 on the Berea College Farm in Kentucky, USA, a USDA certified organic farm. The results indicated that potting media composed of 75% to 100% compost performed as well as fertilized, peat-based growing media for plant growth. Further, although weeds were pre...

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- Environmental Science, Horticulture, Climate Change, Food Systems
- by Mebrahtu Haile and +1
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- Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biodiesel, BIOETHANOL

Understanding the physical properties of compost in relation to water retention and their impact on reducing water consumption and increasing plant water use efficiency is important. In order to investigate the effect of using three types of compost (powder, vermicompost and granular) in four levels of 0, 5, 10 and 25 tons/ha on the water use efficiency of grass, a factorial project in randomized complete block design was carried out for one year and nine months (2018-2019) in at the station of the Research and Education Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Khorasan Razavi. The plant species tested were commercial Hamilton sports grass and was used as a culture medium in the treatments. Before planting, soil samples and compost samples were chemically and physically decomposed and macro and micronutrients were identified for each fertilizer and soil in the area. During the growth period, moisture samples were taken from the soil and irrigations were performed based on the allowable moisture discharge (50% of usable moisture). At the end of the project, the soil was sampled from each plot and the amounts of micro and macro elements were determined. The results of water use in cultivated grass treatments showed that consumption of 10 tons per hectare of vermicompost had the lowest water consumption during the growing period (430 mm), which increased water retention in the soil and the amount of water consumption was about 40% less than Control treatment (without fertilizer application). Water use efficiency was measured in different treatments that the highest water use efficiency was related to the treatment of 5 tons per hectare of powdered compost at the rate of 7.4 kg/m 3 of water.

- by Agrotechniques in Industrial Crops and +1
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- Soil, Water use efficiency, Grass, Compost

Compost micro-entrepreneurship has been used as strategy to increase the incomes of poor and rural farming communities. Nevertheless, several difficulties can arise to sustain these small businesses. The conversion of organic material into compost requires labor, tools and infrastructure. Many poor and rural microenterprises cannot afford all of these inputs to sustain operations. Literature suggests that social capital and collective action can address challenges related to limited resources for communities and small businesses. Little research, however, has explored how coworker characteristics and their cooperative efforts affect the financial sustainability of compost micro-enterprises. The objective of this study was to unveil whether rural compost microenterprises use social capital and/or collective action to address various challenges related to natural and financial capital, and if so, in what manner. A multisite case study framework was implemented using participant observation to identify common challenges faced by compost microenterprises in Chimaltenanago, Guatemala. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine if coworker characteristics (related to social capital) addressed these challenges, and if so, how. Four characteristics related to social capital emerged from a thematic analysis, including 1) raw material access based on coworker occupation, 2) overhead savings from human capital, 3) credit/market-entry granted from social networks, and 4) consumer trust gained from social capital/gender. It appears the investigation and development of compost microenterprises should be more cognizant of opportunities related to coworker characteristics, especially those related to social capital and collective action. As a result, management training can be integrated within entrepreneurship development to sustain urban and rural economies.

- by Timothy Silberg and +1
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- Collective Action, Social Capital, Institutions, Guatemala

This study investigated the optimum irrigation scheduling and the best application rate of compost under rotational distribution system in sandy soils conditions to mitigate water stress on apple trees for improving yield, water productivity and quality traits. The obtained results indicated that applying optimum irrigation scheduling (adding Water Irrigation Requirements (WIR)) for apple in three and four days as irrigation interval) and increasing the application rate of compost up to 25 ton per fed, increase water and fertilizers uptake rate with good growing conditions. Meanwhile, the fruit yield, quality trait, and water productivity of apple were increased. In apple cultivation and other crops which follow the bilateral irrigation rotation, the irrigation requirements should be splitted in three days per week along with increasing the application rate of compost up to 25 ton fed-1 with drip irrigation system to mitigate the negative effect of water stress on apple trees.

- by Lamy HAMED
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- Soil organic matter, Compost, Water Productivity, Rotational Distribution System
- by Benz Buu
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- Deepwater, Compost

The organic production of food is an alternative for consumers that prefer food free of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, and with a high nutritional value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate substrates prepared with mixtures of compost and vermicompost with sand, at various levels, under greenhouse conditions. The tomato hybrid SUN-7705 (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) was analized in four substrates that included compost and vermicompost mixed at three different proportions (100, 75 y 50%). The treatments were distributed in a completely randomised design with a factorial arrangement of 4x3 and five replicates. The greatest average yield (39.811 t ha−1) was obtained with the compost generated by decomposing bovine manure, corn stover (Zea mays L.), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumacher) and black earth (CEMZT) at 75% + sand, and with the vermicompost generated by manure, bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) and black earth (VEPT) at 100 and 50% + sand. This yield w...

- by Rodolfo Osorio-Osorio
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- Agronomy, Vermicompost, GREENHOUSE, Compost
- by james ojo
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- Mathematics, Organic agriculture, Composting, Plant growth

This study aims to examine the effect of zeolites in optimizing the process of food waste composting. A novel method of sequential hydrothermal was introduced to modify the natural zeolite and apply to in-vessel compost bioreactors. Raw and modified natural zeolites were applied at 10 and 15% (w/w) of the total waste and compared with un-amended control trial. Both raw and modified zeolites affected the composting process, but the notable results were observed for modified natural zeolite. The results for compost stability parameters were prominent at 15% modified natural zeolite concentration. The rapid and long-term thermophillic temperature and moisture content reduction to the optimum range was observed for modified natural zeolite. Furthermore, the total ammonium (NH 4 +) and nitrate (NO 3 −) concentration in modified natural zeolite were increased by 11.1 and 21.5% respectively as compared to raw zeolite. Compost stability against moisture contents (MC), electrical conductivity (EC), organic matters (OM), total carbon (TC), mineral nitrogen, nitrification index (NI) and germination index (GI) was achieved after 60 days of composting that was in accordance with the international compost quality standards. The findings of this study suggested the suitability of modified natural zeolite addition at 15% to the total waste as the optimum ratio for the composting of food waste in order to achieve a stable nutrient-rich compost.

The eect of vermicompost (VC) on the development of muskmelon in the greenhouse was determined using four types of VC mixed with river sand (RS) as substrates, at ratios of 25 : 75, 30 : 70, 35 : 65 and 40 : 60 (% by volume). The VC combinations were prepared with horse, goat, rabbit and bovine manure. The substrates were placed in 20 kg black polyethylene bags where Cantaloupe seeds were planted. The plants were trained to one stem using raa thread, and were watered with a drip irrigation system. The bags, used as pots, were placed in a double line and a tresbolillo arrangement. A randomised block design with a 4 x 4 factorial scheme and four replicates was applied. Factor A was the VC : RS combinations and factor B was the dierent VCs. A variance analysis showed that with 40 % of VC, independently of the VC used, highly signicant dierences (P 0.01) were recorded for yield, fruit weight, equatorial and polar diameters, pulp thickness, cavity of the placenta and days to harve...

- by Alejandro Moreno Resendez
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- Art, Vermicomposting, Protected Agriculture, Manure

El mayo feminista generó un acontecimiento que recreó el espacio universitario como territorio de feminismo urbanos y donde la “autoconsciencia” de la violencia devino en experiencia colectiva. La fuerza de las estudiantes de alguna manera reconfiguró la idea de lo “personal es político”, no en el sentido de lo que me pasa a mi es un asunto de todas, sino que se reconoció la violencia como un sentir personalmente colectivo. Este proceso es la autoconsciencia del cuidado colectivo ¿Pero el cuidado contra qué? Este “qué” es lo que exploro en diálogo con las defensoras territoriales: mujeres que han configurado su vida en un activismo permanente contra la explotación de los recursos naturales y los bienes comunes. A través de conversaciones colectivas con las Mujeres de Zona de Sacrificio en Resistencia (MUZOSARE) y Mujeres Modatima, reflexiono sobre las prácticas de cuidado y el buen vivir. Complemento estos dos ejes de reflexión, situados en territorios despojados de agua y de aire descontaminado, con los diálogos feministas de otras teóricas como Haraway, de Sousa y el Colectivo Miradas Críticas del Territorio. En base a estas reflexiones, intento comprender las posibilidades de continuidad de nuestra multiespecie.

- by Cuadernos de Teoría Social
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- Territorio, Compost, Justicia, Ecofeminismo

Plant diseases continue to cause severe damage to most agricultural crops resulting in heavy losses of both yield and quality. In addition the agricultural wastes cause real problems to get rid of them. Therefore, intensive concern was directed toward compost utilization, as they are available for no cost no side effect. So, in this study different suggested formulations of aerated compost tea in combination with pomegranate peel powder were evaluated for the possibility of using them as an environmentally safe alternative to fungicides. In vitro antifungal activity as well as, the in vivo probability of these combinations to suppress damping-off and wilt diseases caused by R. solani and F. oxysporum was done. Pathogens were isolated from diseased lupine plants with root rot and wilt symptoms. In vitro experiment results illustrated that high inhibition linear growth was obtained by compost/sour pomegranate tea prepared using alkaline water by up to 60% and 70% for F. oxysporum and R. solani respectively. Meanwhile, under field condition all tested combinations showed significant reduction in disease severity over un-composted control, indicated by low wilting and high survival % of lupine plants, no significant differences were detected between treatments. All compost treatments, in the field experiment, performed significantly better than the un-composted control in terms of growth parameters, NPK accumulation, yield and its components with no significant differences. Findings of this study suggest that mixture of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peels extract with compost tea might be a promising combination for controlling phytopathogenic fungi and can be used as effective natural fungicide against two of the most dangerous soil-borne fungi looking for reducing the dependence on the chemical fungicides.

- by Ehab A Sarhan
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- Fusarium oxysporum, Compost Tea, Compost, Plant Pathology

This paper aims to examine the influence of biochar produced from lawn waste in accelerating the degradation and mineralization rates of food waste compost. Biochar produced at two different temperatures (350 and 450 °C) was applied at the rates 10 and 15% (w/w) of the total waste to an in-vessel compost bioreactor for evaluating its effects on food waste compost. The quality of compost was assessed against stabilization indices such as moisture contents (MC), electrical conductivity (EC), organic matters (OM) degradation, change in total carbon (TC) and mineral nitrogen contents such as ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−). The use of biochar significantly improved the composting process and physiochemical properties of the final compost. Results showed that in comparison to control trial, biochar amended compost mixtures rapidly achieved the thermophilic temperature, increased the OM degradation by 14.4–15.3%, concentration of NH4+ by 37.8–45.6% and NO3− by 50–62%. The most prominent effects in term of achieving rapid thermophilic temperature and a higher concentration of NH4+ and NO3− were observed at 15% (w/w) biochar. According to compost quality standard of United States (US), California, Germany, and Austria, the compost stability as a result of biochar addition was achieved in 50–60 days. Nonetheless, the biochar produced at 450 °C had similar effects as to biochar produced at 350 °C for most of the compost parameters. Therefore, it is recommended to produce biochar at 350 °C to reduce the energy requirements for resource recovery of biomass and should be added at a concentration of 15% (w/w) to the compost bioreactor for achieving a stable compost.

Compost is a simple way of creating what scientists call a positive feedback loop. This study was conducted to determine the pH, N, P, and moisture content; the number of days to decomposition; the percent recovery of composted substrates; and the return on cash expense of producing the formulated sunflower-based compost. The substrates used in the study were wild sunflower, grass, alnus leaves and banana bract. These were composted until it becomes recognizable. The grass, alnus leaves, and banana bract are constant in weight which is 10 kg each, only the sunflower varied in rate. Different rates of wild sunflower in the treatments were the following: T1=10 kg, T2=20 kg, T3=30 kg, T4=40 kg and T5=50 kg. Results showed that chemical and moisture contents of formulated wild sunflower-based compost were not affected by the different rates of wild sunflower except N. Treatment 4 (4:1:1:1 of wild sunflower, grass, alnus leaves and banana bract) obtained the highest N content with 3.21 %. The lowest was registered from the formulation of 1:1:1:1 of wild sunflower, grass, alnus leaves and banana bract (T1) with 2.21 %. The higher the rate of wild sunflower, the early and the higher are the number of days to decompose and the percentage of its recovery, respectively. Treatment 5 (5:1:1:1 of wild sunflower, grass, alnus leaves and banana bract) gained a higher return on cash expense with 13.05 %.

- by IJMRE Journal and +1
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- Organic Chemistry, Decomposition, Nutrient Content, Compost

Organic composting forms the backbone & basic necessity of a poor farmer. The traditional methods are not sufficient & satisfactory for chopping the crop residues. Whereas buying the chemical fertilizer is not possible for every farmer due to its high cost. Organic waste chopping or shredding machine accelerates the process of composting by increasing the surface area of crop residues for aerobic degradation thereby reducing the time to obtain the compost from 4 Months to 3 Months. When the crop residues come through the hopper in the cutting chamber then due to the cutting blades & hammer blades it gets chopped into different sizes depending on the diameter of the sieve used thereby increasing the surface area of residue to decompose early. A portable machine serves for various problems like moving from one place to another, requires less space & is less bulky as compared to the existing bulky machines. It also helps the farmers to start small business thereby making them self-dependent. Machine can be used for various purposes like chopping, to obtain animal fodder, bed for poultry birds, etc which makes it a multipurpose machine. Design & development of the machine done taking into consideration various literature reviews & needs of farmers. Fabrication with proper dimensions & consideration of required parameters provides for an efficient Ã¢â‚¬Å“Portable Organic Waste Chopping MachineÃ¢â‚¬Â.

In order to determine the effect of compost (CO) on antioxidant compounds and fruit quality of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.), an experiment was conducted in open field. Treatments consisted of four levels of compost (0, 5, 10 and 15 ton ha-1).The experiment was designed in randomized block design with three replications. Compost treatments positively affected fruit antioxidant compounds of pepper (antioxidant activity, total phenolic and carbohydrate content).But, no significant difference was found in total flavonoid content between compost and control treatments. The highest antioxidant activity and carbohydrate content were obtained in plants treated with10 ton ha-1 of compost. Fruit quality factors (pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid and fruit firmness) were influenced by compost treatments. Total soluble solids, and fruit firmness significantly increased in response to compost treatments and the highest values were obtained from the most level of com...

- by Hossein Arouiee
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- Pepper, Compost, Fruit Quality, Antioxidant activities
- by Thomas Afful
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- Food Science, Nutrition, Food and Nutrition, Peat

— An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Luyengo campus of the University of Swaziland to determine the effect of organic mulch on the growth and yield of spinach. The experiment was conducted between the months of January and February, 2017. The experiment was a completely randomized design (CRD), with treated sewage mulch (TSM) and organic compost mulch (OCM) as treatments. The no mulch (NML) was used as a control. Spinach seedlings were planted at a spacing of 15 cm within rows and 30 cm between rows. Weeding and pest control measures were done uniformly across the treatments, when and as required. The data collected included the percentage moisture retained by the different treatments on the soil, growth parameters (leaf width, leaf length, leaf number, leaf area, plant height) and yield at harvest. The results displayed a significant difference (P<0.05) between the treatments in terms of the moisture retention properties. Organic compost mulch recorded the highest mean percentage moisture retention (22.9%), followed by treated sewage mulch (20.9%) and no mulch recorded the lowest percentage moisture retention in the soil (14.4%). All the growth parameters were higher for spinach growth under TSM, followed by that grown under OCM. They were lowest under spinach grown under no mulch. The differences in mean for parameters were significant (p<0.05). The yield also varied across the treatments as TSM had a dry mass of 43.0 g, followed by OCM at 23.4 g and the no mulch treatment recorded a dry mass of 20.9 g. The results showed that mulching improved the performance of the spinach plants in terms of plant growth, moisture retention and yield.

- by Agriculture Journal IJOEAR and +1
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- Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Organic Chemistry, Environmental Education

This work is in the context of the management and recycling of solid urban waste. The evolution of the physicochemical and microbiological parameters during composting pilot scale household waste was studied. The maturity of the processes and the agronomic value of the finished product were examined. The results showed that the organic fraction of solid waste could be composted successfully in 60 days and revealing a vigorous microbial activity. The final compost has been satisfactory for its agricultural application. Phytotoxicity tests conducted on wheat and tomato crops, show that the incorporation of 25% culture support the compost allows a germination rate of up to 85% against 70% for the control for the variety of corn. In the case of tomatoes, we recorded a germination rate of about 67% against 58% for the control.

- by European Scientific Journal ESJ
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- Recycling, Waste Management, Compost

ECOGREEN® mejora la Capacidad de Intercambio Catiónico permitiendo que los nutrientes estén disponibles para la asimilación de la planta. Retiene humedad y nutrientes en el suelo para liberarlos a medida que la planta los vaya requiriendo. ECOGREEN® contiene fitohormonas naturales que desempeñan un papel importante en los procesos de crecimiento y desarrollo de cualquier cultivo agrícola. Ayuda a promover el crecimiento de las plantas sin necesidad de utilizar químicos que son tóxicos. Contiene macro y micronutrientes necesarios para el desarrollo de las plantas. Cuenta con Sello Orgánico BCS.

- by Kleber Tacuri
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- Cacao, Agricultura Organica, Compost, Materia orgánica

APV - Agriculture | Permaculture | Vermiculture ile solucan yetiştiriciliği ve solucan gübresi üretimi hakkında merak edilenler, bilinmesi gerekenler ve kısa adı MeyveDer olan Meyve Üreticileri Derneği üyeleri ile paylaşılanlar. Kısaca #vermikültür | #vermiculture, #vermikompost | #vermicompost, #vermikasting | #vermicasting hakkında önemli konu başlıkları, daha fazlası www.APVfarm.com sayfamızda ve uzmanlık kütüphanemizde

- by HAKAN TURKKUSU
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- Agriculture, Permaculture, Vermicomposting, Vermitechnology

Organic fertilizer is a good source of nutrients for the soil. It improves the soil's physical, chemical and biological characteristics. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield performance of pechay applied with different levels of compost as organic fertilizer and determines the effect of organic fertilizer in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant, fresh weight per plant and leaf area. The pot experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and replicated three times. Significant differences between treatments means were determined using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed, that there were no significant differences in the plant height and number of leaves. However, leaf area of pechay was significantly affected by application of T3 = 50% pure garden soil: 50% pure compost (OF) in combination and in terms of yield, the fresh weight of pechay was significantly increased with the application of T4 = 75% pure garden soil: 25% pure compost (OF). Application of 50% pure garden soil: 50% pure compost (OF) and 75% pure garden soil: 25% pure compost (OF) significantly affected the leaf area and fresh weight of pechay. This implies that compost application greatly increased or influenced the growth and development of the pechay plant.

- by Leif Marvin Gonzales
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- Soil Science, Agronomy, Agriculture, Organic Fertilizer
- by Sara Hosseini
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- Chemistry, Decomposition, Biology, Phosphorus

This study aims to determine the effect of organic fertilizer and urea fertilizer on growth, yield, and quality of sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) and soil health. The research was conducted in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia in December 2016 until March 2017. This research was designed using a randomized factorial block design 2 x 4 with three replications. The arrangement of treatments are as follows: The first treatment was organic fertilizer (poultry manure that has been composted and combined with Biomax-Grow biofertilizer) consisting of 2 levels that are, 0 and 15 ton ha-1. The second treatment was the dosage of urea fertilizer consisted of 0, 150, 300 and 450 kg ha-1. The results showed that application of integrated use of organic fertilizer and urea fertilizer would decrease the use of urea and be recommended for sweet corn cultivation. Organic fertilizer gives a better postharvest quality of sweet corn and a better soil health with respect to soil respiration as well as fungi and bacterial population.

- by Darwin H . Pangaribuan
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- Organic Fertilizers, NITROGEN FERTILIZERS, Compost, Chlorophyll-A

This paper aims to (1) examine the challenges in the compost facilities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), (2) optimize the composting techniques using indigenous natural zeolite and locally produced biochar from agricultural residues and (3) evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of optimized food waste composting. In KSA food waste is the most abundant stream of municipal solid waste that contribute up to 50% of the total waste. The landfill disposal of this waste results in several environmental and public health issues. Resource recovery through composting is one of the best approaches for treating such nutrient-rich organic waste. There exist several facilities in KSA for the conversion of food waste to compost using conventional methods of compost piles and trenches. However, none of the produced compost is capable of improving the quality and fertility of sandy soils and the growth of the crops due to limited values of organic matter, nutrients and water holding capacity along with high moisture contents, nitrification index, weed seed contents and ammonia emissions. In KSA, vast reservoirs of natural zeolite are available near to Jeddah city. Similarly, in KSA the most cultivated tree is date palm with more than 22 million date trees that would provide sufficient feedstock for biochar production. Therefore, diverting food waste from landfills to optimized composting facilities using natural zeolites and biochar could benefit the KSA economy with a total net savings of about US $70.72 million per year.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) plant is a valuable medicinal crop in arid and semi-arid regions. The use of microbes as bio-fertilizers in enhancing crop production is more favorable than chemical fertilizers due to food safety. A pot experiment was conducted to explore the effect of Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum brasiliense as a bio-fertilizer on the growth, yield, and quietly of roselle plants. Roselle seeds were mixed with the tested biofertilizer and cultivated on plastic pots filled with a sandy clay loam soil. The bio-fertilization significantly (p<0.05) increased the growth, nutrients uptake, yield, and quality of roselle plants compared to the untreated plants. The inoculation of roselle plants with the bio-fertilizer increased the total chlorophyll, carotenoid, total anthocyanin (TAC), and total flavonel (TF) by 16.45, 26.10, 8.44, and 14.27%, respectively, above the control. The bio-fertilization increased the soil available nitrogen by 14.33% above the control, and increased the uptake of N, P, and K by 18.8, 17.81, and 12.75%. The biofertilization not only increased the quality of roselle plants but also increased the fresh and dry weights of sepals yield by 5.89 and 3.55%, respectively.

Agricultural production is the concept of food sufficiency in every country, from the early 80's when there was an increase in the investment in organic production systems in response to this global consumption. This thesis proposed organic production of Microgreens. We have to, because they represent current and further economic development in international market inside the food sector.
In the course of this work process it proves implementing an efficient production system of low cost and with possibilities of intensive production during the growth capacity of seeds. The selected seeds were appointed at the request of the potential market where germination was obtained in soil (S) and vermicompost (L) observing differences outbreak quantified and averaged days time: radish (S) 5.25 d, radish (L) 5 d, corn (S) 3.75 d, corn (L) 3.75 d, melón (S) 3.5 d, melón (L) 4.25 d and rucola (S) 5 d, rucola (L) 3.75 d, it improved the level of agricultural productivity in protected conditions. To produce commercial size requested by potential customers is reported: radish (S) 10.25 d, radish (L) 8.75 d, corn (S) 24.25 d, corn (L) 23 d, melón (S) 25 d, melón (L) 25.25 d and rucola (S) 11 d, rucola (L) 10.75 day. Differences in crop development were observed.
The development of infrastructure in the pilot plant generated a change in production systems per m2, this led to the standardization of the production system to write off investment costs and improve product quality.
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The development of infrastructure in the pilot plant generated a change in production systems per m², this led to the standardization of the production system to write off investment costs and improve product quality.

- by Omar Meléndez Silva
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- Production, Composting, Compost use, Compost
- by Luis Antequera
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- Compost

This study investigated the effects of biochar and compost, applied individually or together, on soil fertility, peanut yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a Ferralsol in north Queensland, Australia. The treatments were (1) inorganic fertilizer only (F) as a control; (2) 10 t ha1 biochar + F (B + F); (3) 25 t compost + F (Com + F) ha1; (4) 2.5 t B ha1 + 25 t Com ha1 mixed on site + F; and (5) 25 t ha1 cocomposted biochar-compost + F (COMBI + F). Application of B and COMBI increased seed yield by 23% and 24%, respectively. Biochar, compost and their mixtures significantly improved plant nutrient availability and use, which appeared critical in improving peanut performance. Soil organic carbon (SOC) increased
from 0.93% (F only) to 1.25% (B amended), soil water content (SWC) from 18% (F only) to over 23% (B amended) and CEC from 8.9 cmol(+)/kg (F only) to over 10.3 cmol(+)/kg (organic amended). Peanut yield was significantly positively correlated with leaf chlorophyll content, nodulation number (NN), leaf nutrient concentration, SOC and SWC for the organic amendments. Fluxes of CO2 were highest for the F
treatment and lowest for the COMBI treatment, whereas N2O flux was highest for the F treatment and all organic amended plots reduced N2O flux relative to the control. Principal component analysis indicates that 24 out of 30 characters in the
first principal component (PRIN1) individually contributed substantial effects to the total variation between the treatments. Our study concludes that applications of B, Com, B + Com or COMBI have strong potential to, over time, improve SOC, SWC, soil nutrient status, peanut yield and abate GHG fluxes on tropical Ferralsols.

- by Adrian Bass and +2
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- BIOCHAR, Carbon Sequestration, Soil carbon sequestration, N2O emission
- by Mauro Chicuellar Moreno
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- Humus, Suelo, Compost, Materia orgánica

Sustainability generally depends on the socio-economic development of a country and the availability and consumption of energy. The available sources of energy can be classified into nonrenewable and renewable. In the renewable account, the energy is being deposited everyday whereas the non- renewable energy deposits are continuously depleted by our withdrawals. Due to continuous depletion in the natural resources by an increased consumption of the energy, alternatives of fossil fuels must be searched out. Bioenergy is the only alternative and cheap source of energy which can be made available especially for the rural agricultural people of Bangladesh. This paper describes the various uses of an important energy crop, Water hyacinth and the production of biogas using it as a feedstock, which could be collected from the water body and converted to gas, fertilizer and many other useful products.

In Galician silvopastoral systems (northwest Spain) fertilization with sewage sludge could enhance tree and pasture productivity which is limited by soil acidity. The effect of sewage sludge on tree growth and the pasture production is different depending on the process used to stabilize the sewage sludge. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fertilization with municipal sewage sludge, which has been stabilized using anaerobic digestion, composting, and pelletization, on tree and pasture productivity compared to control treatments (mineral and no fertilization) in a silvopastoral system under Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. Mineral fertilization increased the annual pasture production and reduced the tree heights due to the competition by the nutrients generated between pasture and trees. However, tree height was increased by the application of pelletized sewage sludge applied in split doses.

- by Rosa Mosquera-Losada
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- Agroforestry, Anaerobic Digestion, Compost, Pelletization

In organic farming, compost is the main sources of fertilizer. Compost is commonly applied at one time before planting and this led to the available nutrients from compost is inadequate for crop requirements. Thus, most of organic crops need some additions that help to improve the growth and production during the growing season. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of Arid Land Agricultural Research and Service Center (ALARC), Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Egypt to study the ability of enhancing organic production of cucumber by using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (mixture of Azotobacterchroococcum, Azospirilliumbrasilense,Pseudomonas fluorecense and Serratia sp.) and compost tea under sandy soil condition. The cucumber seeds (Prince F1) were set up in sandy soil during 2012 and 2013 seasons. The rates of compost (75, 100 and 125% as recommended dose of nitrogen) with and without addition of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) or compost tea were investigated on growth, yield and mineral composition of cucumber plants comparing to recommended dose of NPK as mineral fertilizer (control). Nitrate and heavy metal content in cucumber fruits were determined; also nitrogenase activity in rhizosphere zone was determined. The results indicated that using 100% and 125% compost with addition of plant growth promoting rihzobacteria or compost tea increased significantly the vegetative growth, yield, nutritional content of cucumber plants and heavy metal content in fruits compared to recommended dose of mineral fertilizer treatment. All rates of compost with and without addition of PGPR or compost tea reduced nitrate content in cucumber fruits.

- by Mohamed Abdrabbo and +1
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- Organic Chemistry, Horticulture, Physical Organic Chemistry, Organic agriculture

Utilizar algas y pastos marinos como sustrato para elaborar compostas, es otra forma de emplear un material sin uso aparente, dándole un manejo a estos residuos que abunda en las costas y que no tienen un manejo productivo actualmente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el uso del pasto marino Thalassia testudinum como sustrato para la elaboración de compostas y su efecto como abono en la biomasa del maíz. El estudio se llevó a cabo dentro de las instalaciones del CCBA-UADY, en la comisaría de , Mérida, Yucatán. Para los 2 experimentos que conforman este trabajo se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completamente al azar. Para el primer experimento se elaboraron 12 unidades de compostaje (UC), divididas en 4 tratamientos con tres repeticiones. Los tratamientos se conformaron por: un testigo a base de cerdaza y viruta, y tres tratamientos a base de pasto marino con tres proporciones de cerdaza. Las variables evaluadas fueron temperatura, pH, C, N y relación C/N. Para el segundo experimento, se utilizaron 5 tratamientos, con 5 repeticiones cada uno, empleando una bolsa por planta de maízcomo repetición. Los 5 tratamientos estuvieron compuestos por los 4 tipos de composta más un tratamiento control empleando solo tierra. Las variables determinadas fueron biomasa, altura de la planta, ancho de las hojas, diámetro de tallo, amplitud y longitud de raíz. Se realizó un análisis de la varianza simple (ANOVA) para todas las variables estudiadas, con una prueba de Rango Múltiple para comparar entre si las medias de los tratamientos. Los resultados obtenidos en el presente estudio indican que las compostas elaboradas con T. testudinum tuvieron un buen desarrollo en el proceso del compostaje. Las compostas elaboradas con pasto marino también mostraron un mayor aporte de nutrientes en las plantas de maíz, reflejado en raíces más desarrolladas, mayor producción de biomasa, con hojas y tallos más anchos, así como una mayor altura respecto al tratamiento testigo con composta de viruta y el control sin composta (P<0.05). Es posible recomendar la utilización de compostas elaboradas con pastos marinos sin importar el porcentaje en combinación de sustratos, ya que eso no influye en un mayor o menor aporte de nutrientes.

Introduction Vermicomposting could increase nutrients
availability including phosphorus. During vermicomposting, a decomposition of organic substrates leads to the
production of several organic acids, such as malonic,
fumaric, succinic acids. Microorganisms both in the
intestinal organ of the worms and the organic waste have
the ability to convert insoluble P into soluble forms. Little
information exists about the effects of vermicomposting on
rock phosphate (RP) solubilization. Present study was
conducted to evaluate the solubilization of powdered RP
during vermicomposting.
Results Vermicomposting and RP application increased
NaHCO3-Pi. Rock phosphate application in vermicomposting significantly increased NaHCO3-Po. Vermicomposting significantly increased NaOH-Pi in all of the
treatments. RP application and vermicomposting increased
HCl-Pi in both organic sources. Generally, vermicomposting increased HCl-Po. Vermicomposting decreased pH
but its effect was more evident in the presence of RP.
Vermicomposting increased EC in both organic sources.
Conclusion Present study showed that vermicomposting
helps to enhance the transformation of P from RP into
various organic or inorganic P forms, which would be
readily or moderately available, thus, increase the availability of P from both RPs.

Intensive agriculture under plastic houses need to increase organic soil matter for sustainable production to match demands of food security, especially under semi-arid Egyptian conditions. Climate change impacts on agricultural production and the need to mitigate green house’s gases (GHG’s) worked as a driving forces to pay more attention to soil organic matter content and to offer different methods (aerobic composting and vermicomposting) for recycling different organic wastes (agricultural residues and organic urban wastes). The study aimed to investigate increasing organic soil matter content in sandy soil by different rates and types of soil amendments as well as investigate their effects on vegetative growth and yield of sweet pepper using a split plot design with three replicates. The study was carried out during two growing autumn seasons of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 at El-Bossily farm, CLAC, Agricultural Research Center, Behaira Governorate, Egypt. Sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) cv. Godion F1 was the test crop and vermicompost, compost and cattle manure at the rates of 2, 4 and 6% (1.8, 3.6 and 5.4 m3/plastic house of 540m2) were the soil amendment treatments. Results obtained indicate that increasing rate of the different soil amendments from 1.8 to 5.4 m3/plastic house led to increase in vegetative growth and significantly enhanced early and total yield of sweet pepper. The highest values of stem diameter, total leaf area, yield and N, P were recorded by vermicompost, while cattle manure recorded the highest plant height, number of leaves and K contents (%). Vermicomposting of organic urban wastes and composting of agricultural residues to produce organic fertilizers instead of burning or incineration compared to cattle manure led to the sequestrating of CO2 in the soil by 605, 430 and 286 kg/ton and conserved nitrogen fertilizer by 17.1, 11.4 and 16.9 kg/ton of vermicompost, compost and cattle manure respectively. The use of vermicompost as a soil amendment at the rate of 4% gave the highest economic sweet pepper yield. Organic urban wastes could create a good source for producing soil amendment. Increasing organic soil matter content played a vital role in crop production.

- by Mohamed Abdrabbo and +2
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- Horticulture, Composite Materials and Structures, Organic agriculture, Sustainable agriculture

Purpose An experiment was conducted to assess the ability of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC), peat, perlite and vermicompost (VC) to improve the growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.), an important horticultural commodity, in hydroponic culture. Methods Organic matter, when used as a substrate, can affect tomato cultivar 'Grandella' plant growth. In this study, we studied the effect of MSWC, either composted by earthworms (VC), or in an uncomposted form, as well as conventional substrates peat and perlite, on tomato growth when incorporated into hydroponic culture. Growth and physiological attributes were assessed at the fruiting stage. Results Among several ratios of MSWC, peat, perlite and VC, VC with 25 % compost increased the number of red fruits in the harvest period significantly more than the control. The use of VC, peat and perlite increased root fresh and dry weight, root volume, mean photosynthesis, and the number of fruits at all physiological stages compared to the control. Conclusion Vermicompost can improve tomato growth physiology when used as one part of the substrate in hydroponic culture.

Purpose A study was conducted to assess production of Pleurotus columbinus mushroom fruiting bodies for different formulations of rice or corn straw substrates mixed at different percent portions with the corresponding com-posted straw. Methods These formulations were: (1) raw straw (RS) mixed with 5 % composted straw (CS), (2) RS mixed with 10 % CS, (3) RS mixed with 15 % CS, (4) RS mixed with 25 % CS, (5) RS mixed with 50 % CS, and (6) 100 % RS. Composted straw (CS) was made of moistened chopped RS mixed with chicken manure and soil (4:1:1, v/v). Results Data showed a magnificent impact of the substrate on oyster mushroom fruiting bodies yield and characteristics. There was a significant progressive upgrading in all parameters studied of mushroom growth and crop outcome with increasing the percentage of CS mixed with the RS substrate up to 15 %. Utilizing CS at 25 % significantly downgraded these parameters. No mushroom growth was observed at all when cultivated in medium contained 50 % CS. Instead, molds of different colors grew on that latter substrate mixture. The formulation containing 15 % CS distinctly gave the uppermost fruiting bodies yield, biological efficiency, earliness for pinheads formation, fruiting body cap diameter, thickness and weight and stem diameter, length and weight. Up to 80 % increase in fruiting bodies crop outcome relative to sole RS was detected. Conclusions This study suggests that composted straw substrates hold a great promise for the development of Pleurotus mushroom production industry.

Deteriorating soil fertility and the concomitant decline in agricultural productivity are major concerns in many parts of the world. A pot experiment was conducted with a Ferralsol to test the hypothesis that application of biochar improves soil fertility, fertiliser-use efficiency, plant growth and productivity, particularly when combined with compost. Treatments comprised: untreated control; mineral fertiliser at rates of 280 mg nitrogen, 70 mg phosphorus and 180 mg potassium pot–1 (F); 75% F + 40 g compost pot–1 (F + Com); 100% F + 20 g willow biochar pot–1 (F + WB); 75% F + 10 g willow biochar + 20 g compost pot–1 (F +WB+ Com); 100% F + 20 g acacia biochar pot–1 (F + AB); and 75% F + 10 g acacia biochar + 20 g compost pot–1 (F +AB + Com). Application of compost with fertiliser significantly increased plant
growth, soil nutrient status and plant nutrient content, with shoot biomass (as a ratio of control value) decreasing in the order F + Com (4.0) > F +WB+ Com (3.6) > F +WB (3.3) > F +AB+ Com (3.1) > F +AB (3.1) > F (2.9) > control (1.0). Maize shoot biomass was positively significantly correlated with chlorophyll content, root biomass, plant height, and specific leaf weight (r = 0.99, 0.98, 0.96 and 0.92, respectively). Shoot and root biomass had significant correlations with
soil water content, plant nutrient concentration, and soil nutrient content after harvesting. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first component provided a reasonable summary of the data, accounting for ~84% of the total
variance. As the plants grew, compost and biochar additions significantly reduced leaching of nutrients. In summary, separate or combined application of compost and biochar together with fertiliser increased soil fertility and plant growth.
Application of compost and biochar improved the retention of water and nutrients by the soil and thereby uptake of water and nutrients by the plants; however, little or no synergistic effect was observed.

- by Getachew Agegnehu and +2
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- BIOCHAR, Carbon Sequestration, Soil carbon sequestration, N2O emission
- by Udik Darnoko
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- Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Oil palm, POME
- by Editor IJRET
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- Environmental Engineering, Renewable Energy, Solid waste, Biological treatment

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Gulf region, a very small amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is treated for compost production. The produced compost through traditional methods of compost piles and trenches does not coincide with the international standards of compost quality. Therefore, in this study, a continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) method is introduced as a novel and efficient technique for treating food waste into a quality compost in a short period of time. The quality of the compost was examined by degradation rates of organic matter (OM), changes in total carbon (TC), ash contents, pH, dynamics in ammonium nitrogen (NH 4-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO 3-N), and nitrification index (NI). The results showed that thermo-philic treatment at 60 °C increased the pH of the substrate and promoted degradation and mineralization process. After 30 days of composting, the degree of OM degradation was increased by 43.26 and 19.66%, NH 4-N by 65.22 and 25.23%, and NO 3-N by 44.76 and 40.05% as compared to runs treated at 25 and 40 °C, respectively. The stability of the compost was attained after 30 to 45 days with quality better than the compost that was stabilized after 60 days of the experiment under mesophilic treatment (25 °C). The final compost also showed stability at room temperature, confirming the rapid degradation and maturation of food waste after thermophilic treatment. Moreover, the quality of produced compost is in line with the compost quality standard of United States (US), California, Germany, and Austria. Hence, CTC can be implemented as a novel method for rapid decomposition of food waste into a stable organic fertilizer in the given hot climatic conditions of KSA and other Gulf countries with a total net saving of around US $70.72 million per year.

- by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Nizami
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- Organic Chemistry, Food Science, Organic agriculture, Food Engineering

Chrysosporium indicum JK14 was used in the recycling of feather waste into compost. The combination of poultry feathers and sterilized soil was inoculated with fungus C. indicum JK14 in different proportions and kept for degradation. C. indicum JK14 supported better degradation of feathers in soil and enhanced nutritional value. A pot experiment with this compost showed that the plant length of Zea mays was significantly increased by 34.26%, and plant fresh weight was enhanced by 56.52% as compared to control (Only soil no feathers) due to micronutrient released by fungal degradation of feather waste. This approach of feather waste application will not only helpful in eco-friendly growth promotion of various crops but also helpful in controlling environmental pollution that occurs due to the production of tones of feather waste daily globally.

- by Dr Jitendra Kumar and +1
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- Fungi, Keratinase, Compost, Keratinophillic Fungi

The addition of organic amendments to agricultural soils has the potential to increase crop yields, reduce dependence
on inorganic fertilizers and improve soil condition and resilience. We evaluated the effect of biochar (B), compost (C) and co-composted biochar (COMBI) on the soil properties, crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions froma banana and a papaya plantation in tropical Australia in the first harvest cycle. Biochar, compost and COMBI organic amendments improved soil properties, including significant increases in soil water content, CEC, K, Ca, NO3, NH4 and soil carbon content. However, increases in soil nutrient content and improvements in physical properties did not translate to improved fruit yield. Counter to our expectations, banana crop yield (weight per
bunch) was reduced by 18%, 12% and 24% by B, C and COMBI additions respectively, and no significant effect was observed on the papaya crop yield. Soil efflux of CO2was elevated by addition of C and COMBI amendments, likely due to an increase in labile carbon for microbial processing. Our data indicate a reduction in N2O flux in treatments containing biochar. The application of B, C and COMBI amendments had a generally positive effect on soil properties, but this did not translate into a crop productivity increase in this study. The benefits to soil nutrient content, soil carbon storage and N2O emission reduction need to be carefully weighed against potentially deleterious effects on crop yield, at least in the short-term.

- by Adrian Bass
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- Soil Science, BIOCHAR, Agriculture, Soil carbon sequestration
- by michael bird
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- Soil, BIOCHAR, Carbon Sequestration, Soil carbon sequestration

The production of mushroom substrate with limited aeration in phase I composting was studied. A
standard mushroom compost made in windrow piles with forced aeration was compared with the
experimental compost prepared under limited aeration during part of phase I. Limited ventilation
resulted in a product with chemical parameters similar to those produced with full aeration. Despite this,
loss of compost selectivity was observed. When aeration was limited during part of the composting
process, 50% mushroom yield losses caused by strong infestation of Trichoderma aggressivum were
observed. Limited ventilation in part of phase I resulted in a reduction of redox potential, increase of pH,
and concentration of free ammonia, and thus disturbed the transformation of compost into selective
medium for Agaricus. Mushroom yield correlated with redox potential in the compost, and prolonged
high concentration of free ammonia was the main factor in delayed but faster organic matter degradation
in non-ventilated compost. The changes of redox potential and electrical conductivity in the course of
composting can be useful tools for process control and evaluation of the compost quality potential and
susceptibility to green mould infestation.

- by Krzysztof Pudełko
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- Mushrooms, Composting, Trichoderma, Agaricus bisporus