Abstract
An experimental vermicomposting system was established in purple soil present in Sichuan Basin, China. The purpose of vermicomposting (VC) was to recycle and manage organic waste materials; for instance, animal manure and crop residues are present in great quantity. A particular use of earthworms for VC is a valuable method for retrieving essential plant nutrients. Experimental vermicomposting followed by monitoring was conducted for two months in summer with an interval of fifteen days. Four treatments, COM (compost without earthworms), VCM (using cow manure), VPM (through pig manure), and VBC (using biochar), were applied with agricultural wastes such as rapeseed and wheat straw in combination with cow dung, pig manure, and biochar, respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to statistically analyze and interpret the nutrient change among different treatments. Post hoc analysis was done using Tukey’s test. The experimental vermicomposting results revealed that VCM gives increased plant nutrients with a minimum C: N ratio (from 22.13 to 14.38) and a maximum increase in nitrogen concentrations (1.77 to 29.15 g kg−1). A significant decrease in ammonia volatilization was observed in the order VCM > VBC > VPM when compared to COM. It was experimentally established that vermicomposting is the most suitable method for converting organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer with the least environmental pollution load.
Highlights
The excess use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture is increasing rapidly for food and bioenergy production due to the world’s fast-growing population
Sci. 2020, 10, 8956 vermicomposting technique is more beneficial compared to composting as it provides for improved bioavailability of all macro- and micronutrients [3]
All the treatments were compared statistically between the treatment, and the analysis showed a significant difference in the case of all nutrients (p < 0.05) except for some micronutrients such as total calcium and ferrous iron
Summary
The excess use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture is increasing rapidly for food and bioenergy production due to the world’s fast-growing population. Many wastes such as agricultural manure and crop residues can be recycled in a better way than they are currently managed. Composting is a useful method to reuse wastes such as manure [2], while the. Sci. 2020, 10, 8956 vermicomposting technique is more beneficial compared to composting as it provides for improved bioavailability of all macro- and micronutrients [3]. Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer made up of waste material processed in the guts of earthworms, which contain microbes and enzymes that ingest and absorb the organic waste [4]. Vermicompost is an organic amendment rich in nutrients and active in the microbiological perspective as a result of the microbiological breakdown of organic matter [5]
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