Evaulation the Quality of Compost from Vegetable Waste With Sawdust and Poultry Manure
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Date
2019-12-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This experiment was conducted at Aware TVET to investigate the changes in the principal physico-chemical properties of composting vegetable wastes from fresh vegetable market with locally available amendments.To achieve this objective vegetable wastes having C:N ratio of 36.5:1and moisture content (about 78%), were composted with sawdust having a high C:N ratio of 49.7: and poultry manure having a low C:N ratio of 11.7:1, at various treatment composition. It was expected that the amendment material combined with vegetable wastes would compensate for the high moisture and adjust the C:N ratios in the vegetable wastes to improve conditions to initiate microbial activity and enhance the rate of composting. Totally Four small bins with three replicates each and have a size 3m x 1m x 0.5m were used as treatment 1, 2,3 and 4over 90 days. Treatments were evaluated throughout the experimental period for parameters, such as temperature, pH, volatile solids, moisture content,volatile and C/N ratio. Moreover, additional parameters like average elemental concentrations (nutrients and metals) and germination index for each treatment were determined at the end of the composting. During the process thermophilic temperatures (> 40°C) were reached after 18 days of pilling in all treatments, where as the highest mean temperature (> 55.6°C) and early maturation was recorded in T2, and the lowest maximum temperature (<49°C) and rapid fall in temperature was recorded in the T4. The degradation of organic matter was greatest within the first six weeks of active composting and organic matter loss of all stage of composting was highest for T3, (25.71 %) and lowest for T2 (17.95%). pH of all treatments followed the same trend, slightly acidic at the beginning 5.1-7.74 and during composting values increased rapidly and varied between 7.36 and 8.04.T1 and T2 showed a germination index of only 62.21 and 55.82 %, respectively, and the compost of T3 and T 4 showed a germination index value of 92.5 and 98.54 %, respectively. Major reduction in the C:N ratio took place during the second week of composting and highest value was recorded for T1 (from 18.68 to 10.45 ). High initial moisture content (76.6%) in the T3. In general,the Analysis of various physical and chemical parameters during and at end of composting process, together with initially measured characteristics vegetable waste proved that vegetable waste is a good biodegradable material if certain amendment that absorb excess moisture and correct the C/N ratiowasadded.
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Compost, Poultry Manure, Sawdust and Red Beet