PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF WASTE COMPOST FROM POULTRY AND SUGARCANE FILTER MUD

Abstract

Compost is a sustainable alternative of valorization of waste and conversion to organic fertilizer. Under the hypothesis that mixtures of residues have physical and chemical characteristics that modify the mineral supply to crops; the objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of three composts obtained by mixing poultry waste and sugarcane filter mud from the sugar industry, as an alternative to the use of mineral inputs. A completely randomized experiment was established with three treatments and three replications; each experimental unit consisted of a dynamic pile 2 m long, 1 m wide and 1 m high, in Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz, Mexico. Temperature, pH and moisture were recorded. The elements were quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results were analyzed with an analysis of variance and the Tukey (p ≤0.05) means comparison test. The poultry waste compost showed the highest concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sodium, organic matter, total carbon, cationic exchange capacity and apparent density. The mixture of poultry waste and sugarcane filter mud had the highest concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium. The compost obtained from poultry waste showed a high quality for its use as organic fertilizer, therefore, it can be used as a substrate of agricultural crops.