Co-composting of paddy straw and pressmud using microbial consortia and its effect on wheat growth
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Date
2017
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CCSHAU
Abstract
Paddy straw and press mud are agricultural and industrial wastes, which are generated in rice fields and sugar mill
respectively. The disposal of these wastes into land or water is great environment hazard. So, co-composting could
be considered as a feasible and safe method to recycle and transform them into organic manures which can be used
in agricultural soil. So, the present investigation was planned with the objectives to co-compost paddy straw and
pressmud using microbial consortia. Co-composting of paddy straw and pressmud in different ratio was carried out
in pits by adjusting initial C/N ratio to 50:1. Total organic carbon in different treatments decreased due to losses of
C and total N increased due to accumulation of nitrogen upto 90 days. Ammoniacal nitrogen decreased with time
during composting in all the treatments. Amount of nitrate-nitrogen increased significantly and varied from 180
mg/kg to 527 mg/kg. The C: N ratio declined from 59.95 and 33.89 to 33.75 and 22.45 in controls (T1 and T2)
respectively, after 90 days of composting and treatment T6 had minimum C/N ratio (15.51). Amount of total
phosphorous varied from 185 to 1035 mg/kg. Total potassium increased from 0.89 to 1.53 % and 0.72 % to 1.02%
in controls. Initial temperature of compostable material was around 33 ºC. But as the decomposition progressed,
maximum temperature was observed after 45 days of decomposition. A gradual fall in temperature was observed
after 45 days of composting and it decreased to 32 ºC. The amount of humic acid in the finished compost varied
from 14.8 to 123.1 mg/g of compost and fulvic acid from 13.0 to 22.5 mg/g of compost. Carbon dioxide evolution
was minimum in the treatment T2 (142.4 mg CO2/100g compost) having pressmud alone + cattle dung (10%)
followed by treatment T6 (260.2 mg CO2/100g compost) having paddy straw and pressmud (1:2) +cattle dung
(10%) + microbial consortia. Initially water soluble carbon in compost water extract was 7.05 and 4.02% and
declined to 2.94 and 2.02% respectively in control. Maximum germination index was observed in treatment T 6
having paddy straw and pressmud (1:2) +cattle dung (10%) + microbial consortia. On the basis of quality
parameters two best quality composts were selected and tested in wheat (var. WH-1105) under pot house. Root
and shoot length, root shoot dry weight and N P K uptake after 120 days of sowing was maximum in compost 2
(@ 5t/ha) + RDF. The result of present study shows that co-composting of paddy straw and pressmud (1:2)+ cattle
dung (10%)+ microbial consortia resulted into compost which is having dark brown color, neutral pH and low C/N
ratio and its application (@5t/ha) with 100% RDF on wheat significantly increased plant growth.
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