BIOLOGICAL MATURITY AND CHEMICAL STABILITY OF MICROBIAL INFLUENCED TAPIOCA SOLID WASTE VERMICOMPOST
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Date
2010
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Abstract
Tapioca solid waste (TS\V), a major biodegradable solid waste having high
amounts of organic matter, act as a better source and cow dung (CD) used as bulking
material in the proportion of 3:1 for polyculture earthworm composting. Ain; of the
present study was to evaluate the biological maturity and chemical stability (vermicompost
aging) by analyzing the humic acict'level, microbial biomass, earthworm biomass, cocoon
formation and worm mortality rate in microbial (Trichoderma viridae and Bacillus
polyntyxa) aided TSW vermicomposting, because these parameters can control the
quality of the resulting vermicompost. Analysis of the composts in control, microbes,
earthworms and earthworms with microbes treated media were done on the 2S''‘, SO"'
and 75"' day.s. Significant changes were observed in all media except control. Significant '
changes, such as: 1. increased'iinmic acid content, 2. increased microbial biomass
(COj up to SO''' day then decline on the 75''' day, 3. decreased earthworm biomass, 4,
increased earthworm biomass and 5. cocoon formation, were recorded. The yield of the
final compost was high in earthworms with microbes treated medium. Thus, our results
reveal that the use of selected microorganisms with polyculture earthworms enhances
the composting process and chemical stability of Tapioca solid waste vermicomposting.