TITLE:
Standardizing the Quality of Composts Using Stability and Maturity Indices: The Use of Sawdust and Rice Husks as Compost Feed Stocks
AUTHORS:
Abdul-Halim Abubakari, Ben K. B. Banful, Laura Atuah
KEYWORDS:
Compost Maturity, Nutrient Recycling, Waste Management, Soilless Media
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
10,
2019
ABSTRACT: Many organic materials found in urban areas of
sub-Saharan Africa have not been exploited for the development of feedstock
specific quality standards of compost especially for use as soilless media. The
objective of this study was to determine feedstock specific quality standard of compost using referenced stability
and maturity indices and establish a simple
model for predicting compost maturity based on different feedstock. Two sawdust
feedstocks from Daniellia oliveri sawdust (single sawdust) and Daniellia oliveri + Chrysophylum albidum sawdust (mixed sawdust) including
one rice husk feedstock were composted individually with poultry manure in
three volumetric ratios of 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1. The 2:1 Daniellia oliveri sawdust
compost achieved acceptable values for stability and maturity parameter at 8th week, and had the highest nitrogen (N)
level (2.46%) and lowest carbon to nitrogen (C:N)
ratio (15). In terms of associative relationships for single species sawdust compost,
total nitrogen (TN) accounted for 93% of the variation in the C:N content of the compost. In the mixed species sawdust compost, TN explained 87%
of the variation in the C:N. Total
nitrogen only explained 77% of the variation in the C:N content of the rice husk compost. The study established an
empirical relationship between TN and compost maturity and concluded that using
stability and maturity indices and their relationships established in this
study as standard, compost of higher quality could be obtained within the
shortest possible time irrespective of the feedstock used.