Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
or any outdoor place and then has to be left un-disturbed for a year or more. Bio-
compost has proved to be useful for controlling soil-erosion, its efficiency in wet-
land construction and as landfill cover is undoubtedly remarkable.
Currently, bio-composting process refers to monitoring of the composting. As
commonly practiced, it is usually done by shredding the plant matter, addition of
adequate water to maintain the required level of moisture and then to provide bet-
ter aeration, the mixture is turned on regular basis. It is worth to mention that the
process of decomposition is enhanced when worms and fungi added to the mixture.
The complex compounds are broken into simpler ones and consequently greater
amounts of heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium are produced. Later on, microbes
utilize this ammonium available to the plants in the form of nitrites and nitrates. The
worms and other microbes require (NO
3
−
), carbon (C) for energy resultantly heat is
released when the microbes oxidized this C. The materials that carry higher quantity
of C appear to be brown and dry. For the growth and the reproduction of more or-
ganisms nitrogen (N) is essential so that C could be oxidized. Those materials which
appear to be green and wet have higher N. Availability of water in sufficient amount
is required so as to maintain the moisture level and to prevent the anaerobic condi-
tion. Water also helps in reducing heat generated by the microbes during the process
of oxidation of C. Bio-composting is, therefore, considered to be an efficient and
easier way for the decomposition of organic wastes that yield into useful manure or
fertilizer. Moreover, it is a very cost effective process.
Benefit over the new technology includes (i) Bio-compost is supplied for meet-
ing the nutrient needs of crops, (ii) It liberates growth promoting substances and
vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility, (iii) It increases crop yield by 10-20 %,
(iv) It is cheaper and based on renewable energy sources, (v) It improves soil physi-
cal, chemical, biological properties, tilth and soil and soil health in general, and (vi)
Supplies various macro- and micro-nutrients, provides organic matter in significant
quantity and beneficial micro-organisms to the soil. Biological treatment has played
prominent roles in bioremediation of wastes and contaminants. Composting is one
of the biological processes that have proved to be among suitable ways of convert-
ing organic wastes into products responsible for the growth and development of
plants. Transformation of various organic wastes into beneficial products through
composting is viable and hazard free, more appropriately it yield into products that
can successfully be used as bio-fertilizers so as to retain fertility and other condi-
tion related matters. Composting resolves a number of issues related to the utiliza-
tion of agricultural wastes meant for soil amendments, malodors, human pathogens,
and unnecessary physico-chemical characteristics. Mineralization took place and
unavailable plant nutrients converted to available forms through the composting
process, disease infestation is minimized and pathogens are destroyed, as pressed
partial sterilization is done. Pollutants are detoxified and malodors are abated (Parr
and Hornick
1992
). The growth and activity of mixed population of bacteria is the
major component on which composting, is a microbiological process depends on.
Simultaneously, fungi as well as actinobacteria, which are native to the wastes,
are also composted. Rising unease concerning to land degradation, menace to eco-
systems from over and improper synthetic fertilizers, atmospheric contamination,
