Abstract
As vermicomposting has become a viable alternative for the valorization of organic waste; the objectives of this research were to (1) assess the feasibility of said process for corn cob waste (corn cobs and corn husks) and (2) evaluate the operation conditions for the biodegradation of different mixtures with load material (LM). LM did not include animal excreta as a nitrogen source, a practice widely used in a range of studies. The experiment consisted of an initial phase of pre-composting in order to obtain a partially stabilized substrate. Subsequently, four separate mixtures were made consisting of corn cob waste mixed with consistent load material (LM) containing vegetable waste and eggshells (CR, M1, M2, M3) to obtain a balance substrate able to facilitate degradation using Eisenia fetida earthworms. The following parameters were analyzed during the control process: temperature, pH, humidity, organic material (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio. The analysis of the final values of the stabilized mixtures showed that vermicomposting is indeed a feasible alternative for the degradation of corn cob waste for use as a soil improver.
Highlights
The analysis of the results obtained at the end of the pre-composting process was able to prove that the substrate reached a partial stabilization with a favorable total organic carbon (TOC) removal percentage; this contributed to facilitating the substrate degradation by the earthworms
The load material for this experiment included vegetable waste and eggshells to balance the nutrients of the substrate, in contrast to most studies using animal manure
At the end of the vermicomposting process, the values of the parameters pH, organic material (OM), TOC, total nitrogen (TN) and C/N ratio of the four mixes were within the established range of local norms and/or WHO international standards for a quality vermicompost, which means that the final product can be used as a soil improver
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Worldwide corn production is estimated to be 1133.9 million tons for the 2020/2021 cycle [1]; making it the most produced grain, and second most produced crop. The. American continent produces nearly 55% of the world’s total production, followed by Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Its uses include human food, animal feed and feedstock for a large quantity of industrial products as well as biofuels [2]
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