Composting of municipal solid waste

This paper reviews the literature on the composting process, which is one of the technological options for the processing of municipal solid wastes (MSWs). The process assumes a great significance, particularly from the point of its economic viability, capability for recycling of nutrients and waste minimization with minimum environmental problems. A number of studies on various aspects of the composting process, including process control and monitoring parameters such as temperature, pH, moisture content, aeration, and porosity are reviewed. Salient observations on microbial properties of composting are described and details of vermicomposting, as well as a detailed analysis of patents on composting of MSW, are presented.     

Bottom‐up effects mediated by an organic soil amendment on the cabbage aphid pests Myzus persicae and Brevicoryne brassicae

Earthworm‐produced compost or vermicompost has been shown to increase resistance of plants to a variety of insect pests, but it is still unclear whether this resistance is dose dependent and whether the mechanisms responsible are the same for insect species with differing feeding habits and preferences. Therefore, we tested the effects of plants grown in various vermicompost concentrations (0, 20, 40, and 60%) on the preference and performance of generalist, Myzus persicae L., and specialist, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (both Hemiptera: Aphididae), aphid pests. Preference was evaluated with leaf disk (apterous) and whole plant (alate) choice assays. After 24 h of feeding, there was no significant negative effect on the feeding preference noted for apterae of either species of any of the treatments tested. To the contrary, apterae B. brassicae showed a significant preference for vermicompost treatments over control leaf disks. Alate M. persicae preferred alighting on control plants over vermicompost‐grown plants, but B. brassicae showed no preference toward any of the treatments tested. Both aphid species deposited significantly more nymphs on control plants than on those grown in 20% vermicompost. Furthermore, plants grown in soil amended with 20% vermicompost significantly suppressed mass accumulation, as well as numbers of adults and nymphs of both aphid species compared to controls. These data clearly show that vermicompost soil amendments can significantly influence pest aphid preference and performance on plants and that these effects are not dose dependent, but rather species and morph dependent.     

中药渣蚓粪对玉米生长及土壤肥力特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,研究了中药渣蚓粪对玉米生长及土壤肥力的影响.结果表明: 随着蚓粪施用量的增加,玉米的株高、茎粗、叶面积、叶绿素含量均显著增加;生长60 d收获时,多数蚓粪处理的土壤容重显著降低;蚓粪处理的土壤pH显著高于对照和相应的化肥处理.蚓粪处理的土壤全氮、有机质含量也明显高于化肥处理,且随蚓粪施用量的增加,效果越趋显著.中药渣蚓粪可作为一种高效有机肥,其合理施用有助于改善土壤物理结构,缓解土壤的酸化进程,提高土壤有机质和氮素含量,有效促进作物生长.     

污泥蚯蚓粪对万寿菊生长发育的影响

以赤子爱胜蚓（Eisenia foetida）处理混合比例为1∶1、2∶1、3∶1、4∶1、5∶1和1∶0的污泥和牛粪得到污泥蚯蚓粪,并以10%、20%和30%（干物质量）与黑土混合,研究其对万寿菊株高、茎粗、叶片数、分枝数、地上部生物量、地下部生物量、根冠比、花蕾数、产花量、花直径和花生物量等生长发育指标的影响.结果表明：蚯蚓粪明显促进了万寿菊的生长发育;污泥和牛粪比值越小,对植物生长发育越有利;蚯蚓粪含量超过一定量,万寿菊生长发育状况有所下降,20%配比处理对万寿菊生长发育最为有利.     

蚓粪和益生菌互作对土壤性状及番茄产量和品质的影响

本试验研究了两株益生细菌(巨大芽孢杆菌BM和解淀粉芽孢杆菌BA)与化肥和蚓粪配施对土壤性状、番茄产量和品质的影响．结果表明:与化肥相比,在等养分条件下蚓粪能够提高番茄产量、果实可溶性糖和蛋白质含量,并提高土壤pH和速效磷含量．与单施蚓粪相比,益生菌与蚓粪配施不仅能提高番茄产量、果实可溶性糖、蛋白质、维生素C含量和糖酸比,降低有机酸和硝态氮含量,而且增加了土壤pH和硝态氮含量,降低了土壤电导率;益生菌与化肥配施的效果不如益生菌与蚓粪配施．BA和BM与化肥或蚓粪配施时,番茄品质无显著差异,但BA配施蚓粪处理的番茄产量显著高于BM配施蚓粪处理;BM与化肥配施处理显著提高了土壤速效磷含量,而BA与蚓粪配施处理则显著提高了土壤速效钾含量．本研究表明,益生菌和蚓粪可替代化肥用于番茄生产和土壤肥力改良.     

The effect of earthworms on the physiological state of the microbial community at vermicomposting

The effect of earthworms on the microbial community of composts and vermicomposts was assayed by the following parameters: mineralization activity, the levels of physiologically active and growing microbial biomass, the requirement for growth factors, and the spectrum of assimilation of organic substrates by the microbial community. The substrate affinities of microbial enzyme systems in vermicompost were found to be lower than in compost without earthworms, which is evidence of a higher amount of r-strategists in the microbial community of vermicomposts. Physiologically active biomass of microorganisms is higher in peat-based vermicompost than in compost. The microorganisms of vermicomposts and composts experience deficiency in growth factors to a lesser extent than the microorganisms in soil. The presence of earthworms influences the physiological diversity: the Shannon index increases or decreases depending on the type of composted substrate and incubation time. The growth rate of microorganisms increases on various test substrates in the presence of worms.     

施蚯蚓粪对日光温室土壤及番茄产量与品质的影响

设施蔬菜化肥过量施用造成土壤劣化、土传病虫害发生严重,从而导致蔬菜产量和品质下降。蚯蚓粪在改善土壤环境和促进蔬菜生长、提高产量和品质方面具有良好的效果。本试验在日光温室采用等量撒施和沟施两种方式研究了增施蚯蚓粪对土壤养分、酶活性、微生物数量及番茄生长、产量和品质的影响。结果表明: 与不施蚯蚓粪的对照相比,撒施蚯蚓粪和沟施蚯蚓粪处理均改善了土壤环境,显著增加了土壤有机质和氮、磷、钾等养分含量;显著提高了蔗糖酶和过氧化氢酶活性,增加了土壤中细菌、放线菌数量,降低了真菌数量。沟施蚯蚓粪处理明显促进了植株地上部的生长,撒施效果不显著。蚯蚓粪处理明显增强了植株根系活力,提高了叶片的光合作用和叶绿素含量,促进了植株氮和钾含量的积累。撒施和沟施蚯蚓粪处理的番茄产量比对照分别提高了22.7%和32.6%。沟施处理果实中可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖、维生素C和可滴定酸含量分别提高了66.1%、11.0%、122.6%和29.9%,硝酸盐含量降低了65.7%,而撒施处理对番茄果实品质提升效果不明显。     

Seed germination of the weed Rumex obtusifolius after on-farm conventional, biodynamic and vermicomposting of cattle manure

This study investigated whether composting methods differ in their impact on seed germination of Rumex obtusifolius (broad‐leaved dock). Weed seeds were buried in windrows of cattle farmyard manure, removed at monthly intervals and germinated during the course of 7 months. Composting methods differed in the maximum temperatures reached (63°C for conventional and biodynamic composting and 35°C for vermicomposting), the addition of 1000 m^?2 earthworms (Eisenia fetida) for vermicomposting and the inoculation of biodynamic preparations for biodynamic composting. After 1 month in windrows, germination rate of Rumex seeds was significantly higher in vermicompost (48%) than in conventional (28%) or biodynamic compost (18%). After 2 months in windrows, 26% of the seeds germinated in vermicomposting windrows, while those inserted in conventional and biodynamic windrows showed a negligible germination (0% and 2%, respectively). After 3 and 4 months, only seeds under vermicomposting germinated (22% and 3%, respectively). No germination was determined when seeds were inserted for longer than 4 months in any of the treatments. Seeds stored at room temperature germinated at 89% over the course of the experiment. Results suggest that the maximum temperature reached in windrows is not the single main factor reducing weed seed germination during composting.     

Organic Amendments Improve Plant Morpho-Physiology and Antioxidant Metabolism in Mitigating Drought Stress in Bread Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.)

Due to the unpredictable climate change, drought stress is being considered as one of the major threats to crop production. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. BARI Gom-26) being a dry season crop frequently faces scarcity of water and results in a lower yield. Therefore, this experiment aims to explore the role of different organic amendments (OAs) in mitigating drought stress-induced damage. The pot experiment consisted of different organic amendments viz. compost, vermicompost and poultry manure @0.09 kg m⁻² soil, biochar @2.5% w/w soil and chitosan @1% w/w soil which was imposed on the plants grown under both well-watered and drought conditions. Results showed that drought stress reduced plant height (15%), SPAD value (16%), relative water content (13%), number of spikelet spike⁻¹ (17%), number of grains spike⁻¹ (12%), and 100-grain weight (18%). Organic amendments act as a protectant and reduce drought stress-induced damages by enhancing the morpho-physiological and yield attributes. Vermicompost enhanced SPAD value by 18%, number of spikelets spike⁻¹ by 20%, number of grains spike⁻¹ by 17%, whereas poultry manure increased plant height by 16% under drought condition compared to control plant. Unlike other OAs applied, vermicompost was proved to be capable of reducing the higher lipid peroxidation and proline content raised by drought condition. Drought stress-induced increment of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities were also efficiently modulated by the organic amendment application. The present study concluded that OAs play significant roles in alleviating drought stressinduced damages by improving the morpho-physiological attributes and among the different types of OAs used vermicompost performed better which in addition ceased the production of reactive oxygen species.