Improving the vermicompost quality by using horticultural and agronomic residues

Abstract

Recycling of organic wastes through vermicompost production reduces the waste disposal into the environment and avoids the overusage of chemical fertilizers. The purpose of this study is to compare the quality of the raw materials in produced Vermicompost (spent mushroom compost, potato waste and pomegranatemeal + Sawdust, Choppered Corn) and their combination in a completely randomized design. After preparing vermicompost, the parameters, i.e., electrical conductivity, pH, organic carbon content, the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon/nitrogen ratio are measured. the vermicompost production process leads to a significant reduction in C/N, EC and pH. The lowest C/N was related to the vermicompost which is obtained from treatment pomegranate meal + Sawdust + spent mashroom compost waste. The obtained Vermicomposts included higher amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiumin compare to the raw materials. The highest nitrogen content was related to spent mashroom compost + potato waste treatment. As a result, the production of vermicompost from organic wastes leads to an increase in the nutritional value of the fertilizer and eventually the fertility of the soil. In conclusion, the chemical fertilizers can be replaced as well, with the produced organic bio-fertilizer with the lowest cost.Thus problems associated by the use of chemical fertilizers, which today are one of the greatest environmental problems in the world, can be solved.