SILKWORM PUPAL RESIDUE COMPOST AND ITS EFFECT ON PLANT GROWTH AND YIELD OF FRENCH BEAN AND TOMATO
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Date
2018-09-24
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University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Bengaluru
Abstract
A study was conducted to isolate the efficient microorganisms to hasten the process
of silkworm pupal residue degradation and evaluation of silkworm pupal residue compost on
growth and yield of french bean and tomato. Among the twelve microbial cultures screened
during silkworm pupal degradation, four efficient cultures were selected to prepare the
consortium based on their ability to produce enzymes, carbon and nitrogen mineralization
efficiency which included two fungi (Aspergillus aculeatus and Penicillium simplicissimum),
one bacterium (Bacillus licheniformis) and one actinobacterium (Streptomyces noursei).
Composting was carried out by mixing agricultural wastes with silkworm pupal residue in
1:2 ratio treating microbial consortium. Composting using silkworm pupal residue waste with
silkworm litter and vermicompost was an ideal substrate combination. The lowest C:N ratio
of 10.09 was recorded in the treatment T3 (T2+silkworm litter) with highest per cent N
(2.82%). Highest dehydrogenase (198.1 μg TPF g-1 hr-1) and urease activity (448.3 μg NH4+-
N g-1hr-1) was observed in the treatment T3 (T2+silkworm litter), whereas maximum acid and
alkaline phosphatase activity was recorded in the treatment T7 (T2+vermicompost) and T3
(T2+ silkworm litter) (160.6 and 185.67 μg PNP g-1hr-1 respectively). Application of compost
prepared with silkworm pupal residue waste with silkworm litter and vermicompost to french
bean and tomato resulted in higher plant growth and yield which was on par with the plants
received recommended dose of fertilizer with bio-fertiliizer. Application of compost prepared
with silkworm pupal residue waste in combination with silkworm litter and vermicompost
enhanced the chemical and biological properties of soil compared to the soil which received
inorganic fertilizers