Variation in temperature and shrinkage of Trichoderma harzianum - inoculated compost heaps and quality of compost prepared from crop and poultry wastes
Year: 1999
Type: article
Abstract: A study was conducted during 1994 on decomposition in winter by heap method of composting with respect to variation in diurnal temperature, monthly shrinkage and plant nutrients level of the compost prepared by using rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] trash and their mixtures as substrates. Three levels of cage system poultry waste (0, 10 and 20% of the substrate) with and without the compost activator, Trichoderma harzianum were used for compostillg. The temperature was higher at periphery than that at the centre of all the heaps up to 3 weeks of heaping, irrespective of treatments. The temperature difference was as high as 10-15°C in heaps prepared from soybean trash and 5-10°C in heaps prepared from rice straw. With in 48 hr of heaping maximum temperature of 52.5 and 61 0 C was recorded in rice straw + soybean trash and soybean trash heaps respectively. After 3 weeks, the temperature at periphery declined sharply and stabilized and remained almost equal to the temperature at the centre of the heaps up to 8 weeks. With time, shrinkage along the periphery was found more in rice straw heaps forming a hump structure. Activator did not cause shrinkage significantly. Nutritonally, soybean trash yielded the best quality compost. The increased level of poultry waste increased the nutrients status marginally. Soybean trash offered better support for Azotobacter than rice straw. Lower C : N ratio in compost from soybean trash attributed to higher population of Azotobacter.
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1039138353