Venkatesh C.S., Narayana J., Neethu T. and Shyla P.N.
Abstract
Agricultural waste is a vital resource for producing value-added products in India. However, due to a lack of education and awareness about the sustainable use of waste materials, people disposing of the harvested residues lead to major environmental issues in India. The study focused on the production of various agricultural wastes and their recycling process to convert into vermicomposting and bio-composting and assessed the nutrient level. Seven different treatments were maintained. Experiments were conducted using different wastes such as paddy straw, ragi straw, coconut husk, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower stalks, and mixed agricultural wastes, along with organic and inorganic control experiments. The study findings show significant improvements in the physicochemical properties of both vermicomposting and bio-composting compared to chemical fertilizer application. Vermicompost treatments showed lower bulk density (643.33-783.33 kg/m³), neutral pH (7.53-7.80), and higher electrical conductivity (2.83-3.60 dS/m) compared to the inorganic control. Among substrates, ragi straw achieved the highest iron (225.00 ppm) and manganese (273.33 ppm) content, while mixed agricultural wastes yielded the highest potassium (1.62%) in vermicompost. Total nitrogen ranged from 1.38-2.08% and organic carbon from 20.83-32.30% across organic vermicompost treatments (V0-V6), with favourable C/N ratios (14.13-23.83) indicating proper maturation. Vermicompost proved particularly effective in enhancing micronutrient mobilization and maintaining favourable C/N ratios, making it a more sustainable option for soil fertility management.