Soil revitalization via waste utilization: Compost effects on soil organic properties, nutritional, sorption and physical properties

Abstract

Abstract Composting process is a viable method to prepare soil amendment that represents suitable aquatic waste management option to treat nitrogen-rich invasive aquatic weed Hydrilla verticillata. Two soils viz. laterite (alfisols) and alluvial (fluvisols) with poor nutritional value, lower porosity and water-holding capacity were treated using the H. verticillata compost. The organic compost was prepared, using H. verticillata, cow dung, sawdust and biochar as reported in the earlier study (Jain et al., 2018). The Quadrimester (120 days) pot study was conducted in the pots of 0.012 m3 volume. The compost was applied in various percentages to both laterite and alluvial soil (0,10,20,30% w/w). The effects of compost application on the organic matter, pH, nutritional properties, sorption properties and physical properties of soil were evaluated at a time interval of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 days. The significant effect on the organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus of soil was depicted after the application of compost. The addition of compost, aid in raising the pH of soil that agrees the neutral range of 7.0–7.2 in both soils. In case of laterite soil the total nitrogen content was depicted more (94% increase) when the amount of compost was 30%, whereas in the alluvial soil the addition of 20% compost gave the better results (86% increase) in comparison to untreated and other treated soils. It was observed that the application of compost significantly improved the physical properties such as bulk density values decreased drastically by 38 and 37% in alluvial and laterite soil, respectively.