Nutrient Concentrations of Conventional Compost and Its Effects on Teff Yield and Vermicompost of Different Crop Residue, Bedding and Feed Wastes in Ambo District

摘要

Currently use of conventional compost and vermicompost for crop production is common in the country but their nutrient concentrations were not known. Therefore, there is a need to determine the nutrient concentrations to know the quality of conventional compost and conventional compost for crop production. Consequently, an experiment was conducted to determine the nutrient concentrations of conventional compost and vermicompost prepared from different crop residue, bedding and feed wastes at Ambo in 2017 and 2018 cropping season. The decomposed conventional compost and vermicompost were prepared following laboratory procedures and analyzed for different nutrient concentration at Holetta Research Soil and Plant Laboratory. Higher total nitrogen (0.696 %) was obtained with compost produced from ratio of 15:5 kg of wheat residue with farmyard manure followed by 15:7.5: 2.5 kg wheat residue: faba bean residue and farmyard manure combinations with total nitrogen concentration of 0.610 %. Significantly higher mean panicle length, plant height, dry biomass and grain yield of teff were obtained from application of recommended NP fertilizer rate as compared compost indicting integrated use of compost with NP fertilizer is advisable for sustainable teff production as compared to sole compost for smallholder farmers. Higher total nitrogen concentration of 1.32% was obtained from vermicompost prepared using fruit wastes followed by that of barley straw 1.28 %. Higher total nitrogen concentration of 1.32% was obtained from vermicompost prepared using fruit wastes followed by that of barley straw 1.28 %. Therefore, the use of wheat residue with farmyard manure and wheat and faba bean residue with farmyard manure combinations was selected for better total nitrogen concentration and recommended in pure and integrated with inorganic fertilizer for sustainable crop production. Use of vermicompost prepared from fruit waste, barley straw and faba bean straw was for better production of vermicompost for better total nitrogen production and further use for crop production.