Rapid composting is the need of the hour for reducing the time required for obtaining good quality compost. This technology is especially suitable for recycling of kitchen waste and vegetable wastes. ICAR -IISS (Indian Institute of Soil Science) developed this technique in collaboration with ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal and ICAR-NBAIM, Mau. Lignocellulolytic thermophilic organisms were isolated, screened and identified by ICAR-IISS.
Ingredients Required
For the preparation of 100 kg compost, 150 kg fresh biomass (waste material), 50 kg fresh cowdung, 1.1 kg urea, 50 g fungal inoculum (10 5 viable cell), 1 litre bacterial (10 8 viable cell), and 1 litre actinomycetes (10 8 viable cell) inocula are required.
Salient features
A new technology has been developed to speed up the composting using consortium of Ligno-cellulolytic thermophilic organisms
For this purpose, rapo-compost technology has been designed with a capacity of 100 kg
Biowaste materials like domestic wastes and vegetable wastes are collected and partially dried
Fresh cowdung mixed with the waste materials in the ratio of 1:0.2 (on dry weight basis)
Microbial consortia are inoculated to accelerate the decomposition processes at 7 and 14 days of decomposition
Moisture content is maintained throughout the composting period at 60% of water holding capacity
Temperature is maintained at 55 oC during rst 21 days of composting
Periodic turning is done using hand peddle to homogenize the inside materials
Impact and Benefits of Rapo-compost
Rapo-compost would prepare compost within 1-1.5 months from domestic and vegetable waste
The manurial value improved such as total nitrogen 0.89 to 1.75 %
At 30 days of decomposition the colour of the compost was dark brown and with no foul odour
C:N ratio of matured compost is 14:1, CEC reached to 94 cmol(p+)/kg, lignin/cellulose ratio increased to 2.4%, CEC/TOC ratio was 0.27 (initial) reached to 4.56 at 30 days of decomposition, water soluble carbon reached to 0.5% whereas the content of NH 4 - N and NO3 - N varied from 1.3-0.28 and 0.14-0.84 g/kg, respectively
Large quantities of wastes materials may be recycled back to the field after converting them to quality manure
The production of a valuable soil amendment from many organic materials which normally might be wasted
Pathogens and weed seeds do not survive at high temperature during the composting process
Steps for Rapo-composting
Collection of biowaste materials
Segregation of non-biodegradable materials
Waste materials mixed with fresh cowdung
Inoculation with consortium of organisms
All materials mixed together and fed to rapo-compost bioreactor
After one month the humified organic manure was allowed for curing
Sieved (4 mm sieves) and stored at 25% moisture condition