Abstract The chemical, physical, and biological conditions of soil and growing media can be substantively improved by the addition of compost. Compost contains many plant essential nutrients (e.g. N, P, and K) and can also be a source of organic matter. However, concerns persist over composts with a high concentration of soluble salts and their effects on soil fertility, plant growth, and yields. Soluble

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of vermicompost (VC) as a soil conditioner in alleviating adverse effects of sodium in Na salt-effected soils. Therefore, the role of VC for reducing the adverse effects of Na salt on physicochemical properties of soil was investigated. Experiments were conducted with different doses of VC (0, 2.5 and 5% VC (w/w) and three different Na salt levels

The behaviors of bioactive compounds treating gaseous pollutants in biofilters and in the compost used as soil amendment and in green roof buildings are controlled by their thermal properties. There is a lack of information on thermal conductivity of olive cake compost (OCC), K as affected by water content and bulk density. Thermal conductivities (K) of 40 samples of (OCC) were determined experimentally

The aim of this study was to compare and model the thermal inactivation of bacteriophages as surrogates for pathogenic viruses, such as avian influenza virus, in chicken litter compost. Three bacteriophages [ø6, MS2, and Felix O1 (FO)] were inoculated separately into aged chicken litter compost with various moisture contents (MCs), and then exposed to 75 and 85 °C for up to 3 h. The bacteriophage ø6

Commercial mushroom producers are continually looking for new substrate raw material sources and pathways to dispose of mushroom compost (formerly called “spent mushroom substrate”) after crop completion. A relatively new material used in the mushroom industry is corn stover, but supplies are somewhat limited. Corn farmers are often reluctant to remove stover from fields because of nutrient loss and

To meet the challenge of increased sludge generation, shortening of biodrying periods are required. This study assesses a shortened sewage sludge biodrying period of 15 days. The fundamental physicochemical properties of samples from different phases were determined, the functional groups were identified using infrared spectroscopy and the biodrying associated microbial functions were annotated against

A farm scale composting drum was used to study exhaust gases from horse manure, and from horse manure mixed with tomato plant residues (TPR) with a lower C/N ratio. To study whether this addition increased gaseous losses of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S), selected gas compounds of carbon (C) and N, and sulphur dioxide (SO2), were measured on three dates by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Detergent fiber analysis was used to fractionate carbon (C) into hemicellulose (degradable carbon) and cellulose and lignin (recalcitrant carbon) for cattle manure (CM), neem leaves (NL), corn stover (CS), and lawn clipping (LC) to investigate the effects of C quality on vermicomposting. A factorial design having five C sources (CM, CM + NL, CS, CS + NL, and LC) and two earthworm species (Eudrilus

Solid waste management and soil degradation are the two main issues faced by the developing countries. The present study is the first effort to use bio-municipal solid waste (MSW) for the amelioration of saline-sodic soils of Pakistan. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of MSW, farm yard manure (FM) and gypsum application on nitrate leaching, soil physicochemical characteristics

Recent studies by these authors have shown that the toxic and allalopathic weed ipomoea (Ipomoea carnea), gets transformed into benign organic fertilizer when subjected to vermicomposting. To derive benefit from this finding, it is necessary that a process should be made available for uninterrupted and efficient conversion of ipomoea into vermicompost. The present study has been done toward development

Developing biosolids-based composts or soil blends suitable for use in urban areas is increasingly common. End uses for compost vary and can include use as a soil conditioner for existing turf, to establish new turf, for tree planting, in urban agriculture, and for use along highway right-of-ways. The carbon benefits/costs of biosolids compost were modeled for King County, Washington. Soil carbon sequestration

The need for renewable sources of energy has fueled interest in harvesting the heat produced by composting. Pilot-scale compost reactors were built with in-vessel heat exchangers to test the effect of heat extraction on the composting process. Water was passed through copper tubes embedded in the compost-filled barrels and the temperatures of the compost and the inlet and outlet water were monitored

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the utilization of compost derived from grape fruit waste (GFW) as an ingredient in nursery substrates for germination and development of cucumber. A randomized complete block design was used with thirteen treatments (S1-S13) encompassing 100% composted GFW, 60% GFW + 40% poultry manure including hardwood sawdust, 80% GFW + 20% broad bean straw, 80%

Composts especially spent mushroom composts (SMC) have been used for their ability to degrade toxic organic pollutants. Due to extreme toxicity, endosulfan (C9H6Cl6O3S) is categorized as a Category 1 pollutant by the U.S. EPA because of its well-reported carcinogenicity. This study was done to monitor the biodegradation potential of SMC against this pesticide. For this purpose, bioreactors (BRs) system

Without some form of regenerative life support system, long duration space habitation or travel will be limited severely by the prohibitive costs of resupplying air, water, and food from Earth. Components under consideration for inclusion in a regenerative life support system are based on either physicochemical or biological processes. Physicochemical systems would use filtration and elemental phase