Conversion of sago wastes for biofertilizer production using Lampito mauritii and its effect on growth performance of Amaranthus campestris

摘要

Utilization of agro-industry wastes in the production of biofertilizers by vermicompost method with analysis of their micro and macro nutrients was done to ascertain their efficiency in farming. In this bioconversion process, earthworms feed on the farm wastes products. Agro industry waste, sago solid waste was blended with cow dung manure in the ratio of 1: 1 and vermicomposted for 60 days in an earthen pot using Lampito mauritii earthworm species. Temperature, pH and moisture content were daily monitored. The analysis of the micro and macro mineral nutrients of the vermicompost and the synthetic fertilizer were done using standard protocol. Both the vermicompost and the synthetic fertilizer were used for the cultivation of Spinach (Amaranthus campestris). Among the five different sample of sago solid waste mixture tested, the T4 and T5 treatments showed better quality vermicompost with higher nutritional status, morphological parameters (total, shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of the plant) pigmentation (chlorophyll 'a', chlorophyll 'b', total chlorophyll) of A. campestris. This work suggests that biostabilization of sago industry solid waste using earthworm could be a potential technology to convert noxious industrial by-product into nutrient rich biofertilizer.