Vermicomposting of harvested waste biomass of potato crop employing Eisenia fetida: changes in nutrient profile and assessment of the maturity of the end products

Abstract

Vermicomposting potential of waste biomass of potato crop that are generated at the time of harvesting was studied employing Eisenia fetida. The experiment was carried out in pots taking two treatments; in one only potato plant biomass (PPB) was taken as raw materials whereas in the other a mixture of PPB with cow dung was engaged in the proportion of 5:1. The vermicomposted materials showed a reduction in C/N ratio, humi cation index, enhancement in nutrients pro les, ash contents, nitrogen-xing, phosphate and potassium solubilizing bacterial population. The macronutrient enhancement in the vermicompost samples was recorded 3.8-4.4 fold for total N, 5-5.6 fold in available P, 1.6 fold in total K, 5.2-6.2 fold in total Ca and 1.6 fold in total Mg contents. The reduction in C/N was found in the rage of 92.5-94.4% in the vermicompost samples. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed higher disintegration in the vermicompost products when compared with initial raw material and compost samples. Addition of cow dung signi cantly enhanced the quality and quantity of vermicompost nal products besides positively affecting the earthworm population and biomass by the end of 60 days of experimental trials.

Biochemical and Instrumental Characterization of Vermicompost Produced From Patchouli Bagasse: A Waste by-product of Essential Oil Industries

“…Humi cation index is an indicative parameter for compost/vermicompost stabilization (Das and Deka 2021). The decreasing trend in HI level after vermicomposting process has already been reported by earlier workers (Negi and Suthar 2018;Boruah et al 2019).…”

“…For example, urease and dehydrogenase activities are measured to assess the impact of microbial community and role of urea during the vermicomposting process (Yadav et al 2015;Pellejero et al 2020;Srivastava et al 2020). Similarly, the humi cation index is found to be reliable and well used parameters to study the vermicompost stability (Das and Deka 2021). Upon the decomposition of substrate the humi cation index gets reduced and gives the idea regarding degree of degradation, oxidation and decomposition (Lim et al 2015b;Ganguly and Chakraborty 2019) of the vermicomposting substrates.…”

Deciphering waste bound nitrogen by employing psychrophillic Aporrectodea caliginosa and priming of coprolites by associated heterotrophic nitrifiers under high altitude Himalayas

“…The final pH values of both the coprolites from GS and GM were slightly acidic to alkaline attributed to gut microbial activity, indicating that these coprolites could be useful to remediate soil reaction. Vermicomposting of fruit and vegetable wastes 81 , 82 ; seaweeds, sugarcane trash, coir pith amended with cow dung 83 ; and flowering plants ( Lantana camara ) 84 was also reported to produce vermicompost with a pH close to neutral. Analyses of variance for total organic carbon indicated significant ( p < 0.05) differences between the coprolites from GS (18.24%) and GM (27.18%) with their controls GS (control) (29.42%) and GM (control) (32.02%) respectively.…”

Influence of sowing date and organic fertilizers on productivity of Moringa oleifera plant under Aswan governorate conditions, Egypt

“…The micro-organisms require N for their growth, so they break down the organic materials and release nutrients. This process involves immobilization of N from the soil by the micro-organisms (Das and Deka, 2021). However, Geng et al (2019) found that application of different composted organic residues significantly increased the N, P and K uptake by corn plants over control and the increase was proportional to the increase in the composted organic residues rates.…”