Application of locally available microbial inoculant to accelerate green waste composting at a community level

Abstract

The present study investigates application of locally available microbial inoculants to accelerate green waste composting and selection of best inoculant based upon selected physico-chemical and biological parameters for 45 days composting duration. Five inoculants were prepared using cow-dung, cow-urine, jaggery, processed food waste, vegetable waste, and mature compost, each prepared in different ways named as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C0 (control) and sprayed over 500 kg green waste and fed into aerated in-vessels. The blades of reactors provided adequate aeration to diverse microbial populations in different inoculants to degrade recalcitrant compounds resulting in high thermophilic phase duration (3–8 days), high volatile solid reduction (13–29%), high germination index (85–97%), fecal population < 1000, NPK value in range of N (1.6–2.4%) P (2.8–5.2 mg/kg) and K (6.2–9.3 mg/kg) and low C/N ratio (14.5–20.2). Performance of C1 inoculant (processed food waste) was most effective followed by C5 inoculant (vegetable waste).