Saturday, 15 July 2006
138-2

Structural Changes of Sugar Industry's Refuse during Vermicomposting and Composting.

Kazem Hashemimajd, Mohaqeq Ardebili Univ, Dept of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Ardebil, Iran, Ahmad Golchin, Zanjan Univ, Dept of Soil Science, Zanjan, Iran, and Hiecke Knicker, Institute for Soil Research, Technical Univ of Munich, Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany.

The activity of earthworm enhances microbial metabolism and accelerate decomposition of solid wastes. Most of current researches confirmed that application of vermicompost to soil or potting media increases the plant growth and quality. The chemical structural composition of sugar cane filter cake (a refuse of sugar production industries) was determined in different stages of vermicomposting and composting, using 13C CP/MAS NMR and FTIR spectroscopies. Spectra showed similar signals with minor changes in their intensities. The overall trend was reduction of O-alkyl C content and proportional increasing of other constituents. Vermicompost had greater content of aromatic compounds compare to compost. The FTIR spectra confirmed the 13C NMR results. We conclude that, in addition to structural changes, other factors such as nutrients content and plant growth regulators probably contribute for superior effects of vermicompost.

Back to 2.2A Soil Organic Matter: Stabilization and Carbon Sequestration - Poster
Back to WCSS

Back to The 18th World Congress of Soil Science (July 9-15, 2006)