Vermicomposting as an Added-Value Post-treatment for Livestock Waste Composts |
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| Authors: | Enrique Agulló Mauricio Martínez-Fernández Maria Dolores Pérez-Murcia Aurelia Pérez-Espinosa Raul Moral |
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| Institution: | Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, Miguel Hernandez University, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this work was to study the effects of vermicomposting on selected properties of composts derived from animal and plant wastes. For this, two different worm beds were established and fed with two composts: C1, made from goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) manure and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) pruning wastes, and C2, made from rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) manure and grass clippings, to study the quality of the final vermicomposts. Physical and chemical properties were determined in the end products. Vermicomposting improved several properties of the composts, increasing their total water-holding capacity (in C1, from 333 to 451 mL/L, and in C2, from 371to 419 mL/L), reducing salinity (in C1, from 6.8 to 2.4 dS/m, and in C2, from 10.3 to 4.6 dS/m), and balancing pH in the final composts obtained, especially in C1 (from 8.57 to 8.02). The type of raw material used in the worm beds significantly influenced the final characteristics of the end products obtained and the development of the process, with more favorable results being obtained with the compost derived from rabbit manure and grass clippings (C2). |
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| Keywords: | Composting goat and rabbit manure physical and chemical properties vermicompost |
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