PHYSICAL CHARACTERISATION OF THREE COMPOSTS MIXED WITH ONION WASTES | Journal of Global Agri.....

Compost made from organic waste is increasingly being utilised in horticulture as an organic amendment or seedling substrate. The goal of this study was to examine the physical quality of three composts made from waste mixtures of onion, alfalfa, and bovine manure after six months of composting: OMA onion-manure-alfalfa, OM onion-manure, and OA onion-alfalfa. For natural compost measurements, three replicates of each mixture were sampled, resulting in a volume of 10 L. The particle distribution was more uniform in EC, with 41% of particles in the middle fraction, but OMA (28%) and OA (57%) did not have good particle distribution. The OM (50%) and OA (49%) composts had the maximum index aeration capacity and water retention, however the 80 percent OMA compost had a lower drainage and excess water retention. In the three composts tested, total pore space (EFA) values ranging from 70 to 80 percent would be ideal for air and water circulation, permitting healthy root growth. The three compost's substrate density (Ds) ranged from 500 to 700 kg m-3, but the real density or particles (Dp) values of 2.360, 2.312, and 2.291 kg m-3 for OMA, OM, and OA, respectively, were in line with the authors' recommendations for usage as a growth substrate. The aeration capacity was 30% for OMA, 24% for OA, and 26% for OA, all of which were within acceptable norms. Water retention capacity (WRC) values were 40 percent (OMA), 46 percent (OM), and 47 percent (OA), which were lower than the acceptable limits for substrates. The findings suggest that OM onions and composted cow dung would be the best choices for use in horticultural production as seedling substrate and/or compost.

Please see the link :- https://www.ikprress.org/index.php/JOGAE/article/view/293