VENKATESH C.S., NARAYANA J. AND VARSHA RANI H.
Abstract
Agro-waste enrichment significantly elevated microbial populations in both vermicompost and bio compost systems. Total bacteria peaked at 11.5 Ã 107 CFU/g (V6: mixed agricultural wastes) and 10.9 Ã 107 CFU/g (B6), representing 174% and 187% increases over respective organic controls, while NPK-only treatments yielded the lowest counts across all groups. Nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria increased 2.5â4-fold under combined agro-waste amendments, and actinomycete enrichment confirmed progressive degradation of complex organic substrates. ANOVA detected highly significant treatment effects for all microbial groups (p < 0.001), with F-values reaching 275.83 (phosphate solubilizers, vermicompost) and 338.11 (N-fixers, bio compost). These findings confirm that agro-waste-enriched organic fertilizers enhance functional microbial diversity and offer a viable strategy to reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers in sustainable agriculture.