Microbial Inoculation Influencing Physical Properties of Composts Produced from Different Agro-wastes

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was carried out on composting of three organic substrates viz; paddy straw, vegetable waste and maize stover by using three isolated cellulose degrading bacteria viz; CBG2, CBD4 and CBC9. The physical properties after final products were examined. Irrespective of the strains inoculation the bulk density (BD) of paddy straw was highest (0.82 Mg m-3) followed by maize stover compost (0.74 Mg m-3) and vegetable waste compost (0.73 Mg m-3). Irrespective of the substrates, the PD of the composts, was highest (1.55 Mg m-3) in uninoculated control followed by CBC9 (1.02 Mg m-3), CBD4 (0.97 Mg m-3) and CBG2 (0.91 Mg m-3). The porosity of the compost was highest (39 %) where CBG2 was inoculated followed by CBD4 (36%), CBC9 (35%) and uninoculated control (23%). The highest angle of repose (420) was in CBG2 treated compost followed by CBD4 (390), CBC9 (360), and lowest (340) was in uninoculated control. The tab density of compost from control was highest (1.15 Mg m-3) followed by CBC9 (0.63 Mg m-3), CBD4 (0.59 Mg m-3) and lowest was in CBG2 (0.52 Mg m-3). The highest (0.96) Husners ratio (HR) was estimated in the uninoculated- control followed by CBC9 and CBD4 (0.95). The lowest (0.94) HR was in CBG2 inoculated compost.