Abstract

Comparative assessment of maturity indices during the compost formation of bagasse

Author(s): Kavita Tariyal, Uma Melkania

To overcome the problem of disposal of bagasse, a popular method of composting called NADEP method in its modified form was used in the study. The study was done by making brick-walled tanks and taking three types of treatments having different proportions of bagasse with cow dung, rice straw and soil. The study was done for 105 days on the basis of compostmaturity parameters like temperature, C/N ratio, totalmicrobial population, moisture content and pH. The treatment which contained bagasse with cowdung (B2) in the ratio of 1:2 achievedmaturity comparatively fast with a sharp decrease in C/N ratio in 15 to 30 days. This reflects that cow dung itself is a good microbial inoculant. The compost so prepared can be used as a growing medium for crops. In this way NADEP method was standardized on small scale to be used individually by any farmer or person of low economic status.