Effect of Leached and Co-Composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste with Bulking Agents on Soil Properties and Sweet Pepper Plant Development Under Calcareous Soil

Abstract

ABSTRACT Composting of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and its utilization for agriculture has gained great popularity all over the world. However, the safe use of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) in agriculture has been regarded with skepticism because of concerns over the possibility of excessive salt content. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of the leached and co-composted OFMSW with wheat straw (WS) and wood shaving (WSH) as bulking agents (BAs) on soil properties and sweet pepper performance. Six mixtures of compost were prepared including; T1= (OFMSW), T2= (OFMSW+WS) and T3= (OFMSW+WSH). The last three piles, where OFMSW was subjected to leaching (L), including: T4= (LOFMSW), T5= (LOFMSW+WS) and T6= (LOFMSW+WSH). The compost was applied to the field at rates of 0, 40, and 80t/ha alone, as well as in a combination with NPK fertilizer. Plant growth and quality parameters were improved with the addition of compost containing BAs. The application of leached compost significantly reduced (P < .001) electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium (Na) in the soil. Most of the growth and yield plant parameters were increased at a compost rate of 40 t/ha + NPK. Increasing compost rates combined with NPK increased EC, and soil available nitrogen (N), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and sodium (Na), while soil organic matter (SOM) increased with compost alone. Soil pH was lowered with increasing compost + NPK. Overall, findings suggest that applying leached compost with BAs could provide better results on soil and plant.