Role of Locally Derived Effective Microorganisms in Ammonia Volatilization from Composted Organic Poultry Litter.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficiency of locally derived soil microorganisms (LEM) in establishing sustainable and closed-loop agricultural management practices, improved use of organic waste and most importantly, identifying their role in enhanced ecosystem services. This study is being carried out in two entirely different ecological settings and climate zones- the subtropical setting of Monteverde, Costa Rica and in the temperate piedmont of Watkinsville, Georgia. LEM usually refers to a concentrated mixture of Lactic acid bacteria, a small proportion of photosynthetic bacteria, yeast, actinomycetes and fermenting fungi, which, if applied to the soil in conjunction with an organic nutrient source, may reduce volatilization of ammonia from manures and result in more plant available nitrogen. The research aims to understand, how applying, Local Effective Microorganisms (LEM) affects the cycling of nitrogen in compost production.