Purpose This study performed a feasibility assessment of nitrogen enrichment by some ORGANIC WASTES through vermicomposting as well as its release as a bioavailable form over time. Methods Soybean and canola WASTES as well as the dairy blood powder of industrial slaughterhouse were used as ORGANIC WASTES to enrich the vermicompost. Composted materials were incubated for nitrogen mineralization kinetic assessment by adjusting moisture content to 50% at 30 ˚ C for 80 days. During the incubation, moisture was maintained by weighing. Subsamples were collected after 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of incubation. Results Among the treatments, those for 25% dairy blood powder contained the highest nitrogen content (4. 95 and 3. 70% for chicken and cow blood powder, respectively). Nitrogen mineralization through 80 days of incubation ranged from 2. 23% (for 50% canola waste treatment) to 2. 57% (for 25% blood powder) of the total nitrogen. The mineralization rate ranged from 4. 24 and 3. 62 mg kg-1 day-1 for the compost containing 25% chicken and cow blood powder, respectively, to 0. 94 and 0. 84 mg kg-1 day-1 in canola and soybean waste, respectively, whereas those for the control treatment equaled 0. 81 mg kg-1 day-1. Conclusion Composts containing 25% blood powder were acceptable in terms of quantity and nitrogen release over time, and can serve as a reliable source of available nutrients in the soil.

Recent trend of declining sustainability in agricultural production is appearing as a major threat to most of the Asian countries. To combat the situation, increasing importance is now being paid on incorporation of ORGANIC materials for rejuvenating the health condition and, hence, the productivity of these soils. Large scale availability of conventional ORGANIC manures being a big problem nowadays, major attention is being paid on recycling of different kinds of ORGANIC WASTES for this purpose. Apart from abatement of environmental pollution, such reuse of ORGANIC WASTES in agriculture helps in the improvement of various physical, chemical and biological properties of the soils and, thus, helps in sustaining the soil health. While recycling different ORGANIC WASTES in agriculture, it is essential to process the materials through an adequate period of composting for improving their usability in the soils. However, due to some short comings of traditional composting systems, the technology of recycling of ORGANIC WASTES has not been widely accepted so far. Under this situation, vermicomposting has recently emerged as a simple but efficient biotechnology for recycling wide ranges of ORGANIC WASTES with the help of some specific groups of earthworms. In view of the growing popularity of this biotechnology, various aspects of waste recycling in agriculture through vermicomposting have been dealt in this communication.

Purpose The objective of the study was to evaluate the application effects of different doses of onion residue mixed with bovine manure compost as an ORGANIC fertilizer on a hybrid Tetsukabuto squash crop cultivated in a field. Method The experimental design required randomly dividing blocks with three replicates. The experiments were designed with different dose combinations in experimental units (4 m wide x 8 m long deep). There were three treatments: ORGANIC fertilization (two compost doses 6 and 8 kg m-2),mineral fertilization (45 kg N ha-1 urea), unfertilized control. The number of leaves, main guide length per plant and dry matter were determined. Results The results obtained during the first 15-day sampling showed significant differences (p <0. 05) in both number of leaves and main guide length per plant between the treatments with compost doses and the control without fertilization. The treatment with the compost dose of 6 kgm-2 produced the highest effect. . Furthermore, there were no significant differences (p <0. 05) among the three treatments in both the number of leaves and main guide length per plant during the second post-sowing 60-day sampling, as well as in the dry matter during the first sampling. During the second sampling, the percentage of dry matter in the control differed significantly from the two fertilized treatments. Conclusion Compost of onion residue mixed with bovine manure can be applied as an ORGANIC fertilizer with similar positive effects to mineral fertilization in the first squash crop implantation stage.

Bioremediation is an effective measure in dealing with such contamination, particularly those from petroleum hydrocarbon sources. The effect of soil amendments on diesel fuel degradation in soil was studied. Diesel fuel was introduced into the soil at the concentration of 5% (w/w) and mixed with three different ORGANIC WASTES tea leaf, soy cake, and potato skin, for a period of 3 months. Within 84 days, 35% oil loss was recorded in the unamended polluted soil while 88, 81 and 75% oil loss were recorded in the soil amended with soy cake, potato skin and tea leaf, respectively. Diesel fuel utilizing bacteria counts were significantly high in all ORGANIC WASTES amended treatments, ranging from 111 × 106 to 152 × 106 colony forming unit/gram of soil, as compared to the unamended control soil which gave 31 × 106 CFU/g. The diesel fuel utilizing bacteria isolated from the oil-contaminated soil belongs to Bacillus licheniformis, Ochrobactrum tritici and Staphylococcus sp. Oil-polluted soil amended with soy cake recorded the highest oil biodegradation with a net loss of 53%, as compared to the other treatments. Dehydrogenase enzyme activity, which was assessed by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride technique, correlated significantly with the total petroleum hydrocarbons degradation and accumulation of CO2. First-order kinetic model revealed that soy cake was the best of the three ORGANIC WASTES used, with biodegradation rate constant of 0.148 day-1 and half life of 4.68 days. The results showed there is potential for soy cake, potato skin and tea leaf to enhance biodegradation of diesel in oil-contaminated soil.

Purpose The objective of the study was to evaluate the application effects of different doses of onion residue mixed with bovine manure compost as an ORGANIC fertilizer on a hybrid Tetsukabuto squash crop cultivated in a field. Method The experimental design required randomly dividing blocks with three replicates. The experiments were designed with different dose combinations in experimental units (4 m wide x 8 m long deep). There were three treatments: ORGANIC fertilization (two compost doses 6 and 8 kg m-2),mineral fertilization (45 kg N ha-1 urea), unfertilized control. The number of leaves, main guide length per plant and dry matter were determined. Results The results obtained during the first 15-day sampling showed significant differences (p <0. 05) in both number of leaves and main guide length per plant between the treatments with compost doses and the control without fertilization. The treatment with the compost dose of 6 kgm-2 produced the highest effect. . Furthermore, there were no significant differences (p <0. 05) among the three treatments in both the number of leaves and main guide length per plant during the second post-sowing 60-day sampling, as well as in the dry matter during the first sampling. During the second sampling, the percentage of dry matter in the control differed significantly from the two fertilized treatments. Conclusion Compost of onion residue mixed with bovine manure can be applied as an ORGANIC fertilizer with similar positive effects to mineral fertilization in the first squash crop implantation stage.

Purpose: Urban municipal solid waste in India are 75–85% ORGANIC. Uncontrolled dumping of this waste is a major health concern. Degradation of ORGANIC waste by use of a microbial consortium is safe, efficient and economic.Therefore, this study was taken up to recycle the ORGANIC solid waste into effective compost using a microbial consortium.Methods: Bacterial consortia were developed using antagonism assay. Concomitant enzyme production by the consortia was determined. The best consortium was further employed for degradation of 30 kg of ORGANIC solid waste.Compost analysis of 30 kg of WASTES was done to determine the level of C, N, K, P and S.Results: In this study, of the four consortia proposed, consortia no.2 had the highest degrading capability. It exhibited consistent degrading capabilities of 30 kg waste. The volume of the waste was reduced to 82%, with a reduction in mass and moisture content to 65 and 42%, respectively, after 30 days of degradation study.The compost produced after 30 days had a dark colour and grainy texture without any crustacean population and lacked foul smell. Compost analysis of 30kg WASTES inoculated with consortium 2 showed C: N ratio of 22: 1 compared to 32: 1 in control, and increased percentage of K, P and S which are required for enhancement of soil fertility.Conclusion: Therefore, we can conclude that consortium 2 can serve as a biological tool for the removal of ORGANIC solid WASTES from the environment, and the compost generated from the degradation can be applied to increase the fertility of the soil.

Background: The composting process of peri-urban household WASTES, changes that occur during composting, and the properties of the composting products that are of importance for use as soil amendments were studied. Seven different composting mixtures were made in large piles consisting of fallen tree leaves and fresh vegetable leaves mixed with grass or maize straw (0%, 10%, 30% and 50%w/w), WASTES common in peri-urban areas of Harare.Results: The highest temperature peaks of the mixtures with 0% and 10% straw were in the range of 68oC to 72oC. Mixtures with 30% straw had temperature peaks of 50°C (maize) and 52oC (grass). The mixture with 50% grass straw reached a peak of 50oC, while the corresponding mixture with maize straw did not reach thermophilic temperatures. pH ranged from between 6.2 and 6.8 before composting to between 7.4 and 7.8 after composting. The ammonium concentration peaked at various times but declined to negligible concentrations at day 140. The concentration of nitrates increased with composting up to day 97 and decreased gradually thereafter. There was a general increase in nitrogen concentration from 0.9% to 2.3% as composting progressed. Decreases in ORGANIC C% and C/N ratio with composting were also observed, signifying mass loss.Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that household WASTES with 50% straw or less can be composted but with measures being taken to achieve temperatures greater than 55oC for at least 3 days to destroy weed seeds and pathogens. The composts with 30% straw mixture had the greatest potential as a soil amendment in peri-urban areas of Harare as they effectively reduced nitrogen losses.

In this survey, two types of natural ORGANIC and inORGANIC sorbents were studied for adsorption features in batch and column method. Chitin and derivatives extracted from Shrimp shell waste as ORGANIC and Firuzkooh Clinoptilolite and Na form derivatives as inORGANIC sorbent were applied. Both are able to adsorb and decontaminate low-level radioactive liquid waste (LLW). Total Sorption was depended on PH solution, treating time, adsorbents type and particle size of sorbents and it was independent of temperature. Chitin group sorbents were more effective on Co and their sorption depends on the deacetilation factor. The best Cs adsorption was on Na from Clinoptilolite; however, Chitin derivatives were more effective than Zeolite sorbents in removal of radionuclides such as Cs, Mn, Sr and Co. Chitosan 1 had the best and natural Firuzkooh Clinoptilolite had the worse sorption performance in comparison with other adsorbents.