International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture
Volume:12 Issue: 2, Spring 2023

Purpose :

Soybean is critical in the global food scenario, and increased grain productivity and sustainability are always sought. This study evaluates the agronomic performance of soybeans with biofertilizer (BF) applications in different soybean phenological stages.

Method :

Experiments were performed in two regions and designed in randomized blocks using a 2×4 factorial scheme (two cultivars and four BF managements). Representative plants from each parcel were used. Plant biometric variables were assessed on plants at the full bloom stage. At the beginning of grain filling, the leaf and seed biochemical components were measured. Quantitative yield components were measured at harvest.

Results:

 In both areas, the BF did not affect the soybean leaf area index, leaf dry biomass, and branch dry biomass. The BF application improved the total sugars, starch, and reducing sugars in area 1. In area 2, the chlorophyll was similar among the BF managements. Soybean cultivars and BF did not affect seed protein content in area 1. In area 2, the BF application presented a similar or greater soybean yield compared to control (no BF). The divergences observed between areas may be related to interactions between the soil-climatic conditions and the soybean cultivars.

Conclusion:

 Choosing a more appropriate soybean cultivar is fundamental to obtaining higher yields. Nutritional management with leaf-applied BF is an alternative to increase soybean field performance. However, it is still necessary to consider the interactions of the BF with the crop genetics chosen for the region of cultivation and the best dose and time of application.

Purpose:

 The current use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers harms the environment, alternative substitutions using organic materials are needed. One of them is utilizing the dairy industry sludge waste to become a Super Liquid Fertilizer (SLF). This study aimed to analyze the nutrient quality of SLF (a dairy industry sludge waste that was added to some the microbial activators).

Method :

The types of microbes and the number of nutrients in pure sludge were identified, followed by composed SLF and applied to the larvae of Spodoptera litura to see the pathogenicity. Data were analyzed using SPSS.26 software.

Results:

 The types of microbes that exist in the pure sludge waste of the dairy industry are dominated by Pseudomonas bacteria, as much as 50%. The nutrient content of SLF is appropriate to Indonesia’s national standard for liquid organic fertilizer. Analysis of varian (ANOVA) analysis shows that the addition of activator microbe at P3 is the best. The number of microbes in SLF is significantly different (P < 0.05) at each treatment, where P3 is the best treatment. The pathogenicity of SLF is also good, as evidenced by the motility of the Spodoptera litura reaching 98% in the P5 treatment for 96 hours.

Conclusion :

This research has succeeded in producing SLF with the nutritional value of nutrients that are close to the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture. The number of bacterial colonies in SLF is more than 106 CFU/mL, especially in the P3 treatment. SLF can kill Spodoptera litura caterpillars in a time period of 46 hours.

Purpose :

Because of the steep shortage in freshwater supply in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, raw wastewater (RWW) has been widely used to irrigate vegetable crops. This study aims to detect the effects of irrigation with raw wastewater on crops cultivated in Wadi Al-Far’a, Palestine.

 Method:

 A total of 300 soil, crop, and RWW samples were randomly collected from Wadi al-Far'a, an area with a long history of irrigating crops with raw wastewater. A survey questionnaire was also used to collect data on the parasites-infected farmer.

Results :

Results showed that percentages of contaminated vegetables, soil, and RWW samples were 10.2%, 27.0%, and 47.5%, respectively. Crops leave indicate contamination with parasite eggs depending on their contact with surface soil, e.g., contamination of zucchini (leaves rest on surface soil) and mallow (upright plant stand) was 19.0% and 2.0%, respectively. The highest and lowest soil contamination with parasites eggs pertained to A. lumbricoides (30.0%) and T. trichiurid (19.2%).

Conclusion :

Certain mitigation measures should be used to limit the danger of farmers becoming infected with common parasites, particularly Ascaris lumbricoides. Farmers' awareness of the manner of parasite transmission and adherence to safety regulations should be among them.

Purpose :

A study was carried out on composting pistachio hull aided with chemical fertilizer. Recycling of pistachio wastes is one of the major agricultural way in pistachio producing country.

Method:

 The collected pistachio hull was allowed to decompose either naturally through composting or with the addition of chemical fertilizers. Biological and chemical properties with organic matter were monthly measured in both composting methods. The data was analyzed in a completely randomized design. Mean values were compared using Duncan's multiple range test in SPSS software (p < 0.05).

Results:

 Increasing chemical fertilizers reduced the microbial density and diversity during the composting, the concentration of the elements in both composting methods increased over time. The EC in both methods decreased over time from 6.95 to 6.17 dSm-1 in natural composting and 6.95 to 4.85 dSm-1 in adding of chemical fertilizers. The C: N ratios of the produced compost was found to be lowered in adding of chemical fertilizers during composting compared with those naturally composting treatment.

Conclusion:

 Addition of chemical compounds to the primary wastes could accelerate and improve the decomposition process and lead to faster composting as well as nutritional enrichment and lower C: N ratios, but it reduced microbial density and changed their diversities.

Purpose :

Soil acidity and nutrients deficiency are the major constraints causing low crop yield and food insecurity in the highlands of Ethiopia. A field experiment was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia during 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons to study effects of compost and lime application on soil properties and wheat yield. 

Method :

The treatments consisted of three compost levels (0, 3 and 6 t ha-1) and three lime rates (0, 1 and 2 t ha-1) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Before planting and after harvest, soil samples were collected from each experimental plot to analyze soil properties.  

Results:

 Combination of lime and compost significantly (p<0.05) increased soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable base cations. In contrast, exchangeable acidity and aluminum levels decreased substantially compared to individual application of amendments. Compared to the control, application of 2 t ha-1 lime, 6 t ha-1 compost alone and their combination increased wheat grain yield by 24.6%, 42% and 97.5%, respectively. Besides, the combined application of compost and lime provided the highest net benefit (1915.90 US$ ha-1), which was noticeably greater than the control (1034.44 US$ ha-1).

Conclusion:

 The application of lime and compost in combination is an effective option to curb soil acidity while enhancing soil nutrients availability and crop yields at lower input costs.  However, to determine the application frequency, long-term effects of compost and lime in combination on acidic soil properties and crop yield need to be investigated through further research.

Purpose:

 This paper investigates the composting recovery of different bio-wastes and the use of the composts produced as soil fertilizer and organic amendment.

Method :

A composting process was carried out for 111 days using different organic wastes (fruits, vegetables, olive pomace, poultry, and cattle manure). The physicochemical properties of the generated compost were determined. The quality of the compost produced was evaluated by measuring pH, carbon/nitrogen (C/N), dry matter, and organic matter. A phytotoxicity test (germination test) was conducted to complete the analysis.

Results:

 The results of the physicochemical properties complied with AFNOR standards. The pH ranged between 7.3 and 8.7. The C/N ratio was between 10.05 and 18.46, and organic matter content varied between 33.6 and 72.7%. The phytotoxicity test showed that the safety of compost as a soil amendment is related to the applied dose and the type of crop.

Conclusion:

 The physicochemical parameters and phytotoxicity test showed that the compost obtained can be used as organic fertilizer due to its organic matter content and mineral elements.

Purpose :

The study was conducted to develop and assess the feasibility of the low-cost mechanical interface as an alternative to the conventional land-based bin type vermicomposting process. The idea was to reduce the drudgery, enrich the nutrient status and reduce the cost of preparation of vermicompost.   

Method:

 A smart vermicomposting bin comprising of Arduino, feeding hopper, shredding rollers, spiral mixing unit, degradation bin and harvesting gate was fabricated for the preparation of vermicompost from Dal Lake aquatic weed in Kashmir valley. Eisenia fetida earthworm facilitated the degradation process.

Results:

  The Dal lake aquatic weed was degraded in the smart vermicomposting bin. The turning frequency was set as 10 days and 20 days. The performance parameters at 10 days turning interval were pH 7.05, electrical conductivity 0.837 dSm-1, available nitrogen 1.15%, available phosphorus 0.06%, available potassium 1.91%, organic carbon 26.2% and C:N ratio 16.3:1 after 60 days degradation period. The comparative evaluation revealed that increase in available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at 10 days turning interval was higher by 4.01%, 6.06%, 4.94% than 20 days turning interval. The benefit – cost ratio was 0.45 in first year and 1.78 in second year with a pay-back period of 19 months. The unit cost of vermicompost production was Rs. 13 per kilogram.  

Conclusion:

 The involvement of mechanical intervention in vermicomposting can help in reducing the dependence on scarce land and addressing the issue of peak labour shortage. Moreover, the automation of the system can reduce the human errors.

Purpose :

This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical characterization of solid state fermented maize (Zea mays) cob and its use in poultry feed production.

Method:

 Solid state fermentation was carried out at room temperature for 72 hours using Rhizopus oligosporus inoculum with a well prepared phosphate buffer (50 mM , pH 6).

Results:

 Results showed a significant (p< 0.05) increase in glucose and decrease in sugars and soluble proteins concentration in the R. oligosporus fermented maize cob. At 10% inoculum, the highest concentrations of glucose, reduced sugars and soluble proteins were 1.15±0.21, 45.7±0.6 and 12.9±0.3 mg g-1, respectively. Similarly, the total phenol, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and amylase activity of maize cob increased significantly (p < 0.05) with fermentation. Broiler chickens fed with fermented maize cob of 10% inoculum had the same weight gain as the control (1.4±0.1kg). Fermentation did not induce a significant difference (p<0.05) in the activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP).

Conclusion :

The observed increase in proteins and sugars in the fermented products suggests their suitability as excellent components for animal feed production. Thus, the livestock feed formulation industries might benefit from the usage of fermented maize cob as a raw material in animal feeds as well as a protein fortifier.

Purpose Thailand generates approximately 18 million tons of urban food waste per year, which is disposed of with municipal waste and largely goes to landfills. However, this approach not only takes up a large area but also causes environmental problems. The easiest way to manage food waste is by separating it at the source and composting it. Bioaxel Co., Ltd. has developed an innovative approach for composting food waste, with the output commercially marketed as “BA compost”. However, the use of BA compost has not been independently studied.Methods BA compost was mixed with soil in various proportions (0% - 70% v/v) for planting lettuce to find the proper BA proportion. Growth characteristics and nutrient contents were investigated.Results The BA compost improved the soil nutrients. 10% BA compost in soil gave the highest growth parameters among the proportions tested, with the highest root length (21.83 ± 0.83 cm), plant length (30.00 ± 1.00 cm), number of leaves (23.33 ± 1.15 leaves), thickness (12.47 ± 0.57 mm), width of bush (26.33 ± 0.58 mm), fresh plant weight (113.03 ± 1.28 g), dry plant weight (4.58 ± 0.14 g), chlorophyll a and b (0.38 and 0.38 mg/mL), carotenoid (155.28 mg/mL), protein (443.38 μg/mL), carbohydrate (4,321.31 μg/mL) and reducing sugar (683.33 μg/mL).Conclusion BA compost from food waste demonstrated its potential in sustainable food waste management and could be used as a fertilizer. It supports an environmentally closed-loop approach to return the food waste back to the source as plant food.

Purpose:

 Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of locally prepared biofertilizers (Jholmal 1 and Jholmal 2) on soil properties and chili yield (Capsicum annuum L.).

Method:

 The experimental site was in west-central Bhutan. The experiments were Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCBD) consisting of three treatments (cattle dung/ urine: Jholmal 1, cattle urine: Jholmal 2, and Control), and each treatment was replicated four times. The individual plot size of each treatment was 1 m × 3 m in total the experiment occupied a total area of 36 m2. The effects of biofertilizers on soil properties and chili yield were compared before and after application.

Results:

 Overall soil pH was within the suitable range (pH 6-7) for chili cultivation, although soil pH declined significantly in Jhomal 2 and control treatments. The soil C:N ratio increased significantly in all plots after application. Plots receiving Jholmal 2 showed the highest increase in the C:N ratio (2.30%; p<0.01) after the application.  Available soil P increased after the application and was recorded highest (21.02 mg/kg; p<0.05) in plots amended with Jholmal 1. Exchangeable K declined significantly in all treatments after the application and the decline was highest (56.00 mg/kg; p<0.05) in the plots amended with Jholmal 1. The plots amended with Jholmal 1 also gave the highest chili yield in both experiments (≈13 t/ha in experiment I and ≈15 t/ha in experiment II).

Conclusion:

 Jholmal 1 has better effects on soil fertility and chili yield and could be a prospective organic biofertilizer to use in organic farms in Bhutan.