Abstract

BOHORQUEZ, Alexander; PUENTES, Yina J.  and  MENJIVAR, Juan Carlos. Quality evaluation of compost produced from agro-industrial byproducts of sugar cane. Corpoica cienc. tecnol. agropecu. [online]. 2014, vol.15, n.1, pp.73-81. ISSN 0122-8706.

Fresh by products of the sugar industry (sugarcane sludge, bagasse and vinasse) incorporated into the soil generate a negative impact on plants. Therefore, compost is an alternative solution to the use of sugarcane byproducts, which must meet the requirements of the Colombian technical standard 5167 for use as biofertilizer. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of compost made from different combinations of products of the milling process of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Composting piles were established in the Ingenio Riopaila-Castilla, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, using a complete randomized block design with five treatments and four replications. 100% sugarcane sludge (T1), 75% sugarcane sludge and 25% bagasse (T2), 50% bagasse and 50% sugarcane sludge (T3), 25% sugarcane sludge and 75% bagasse (T4) and 100% bagasse (T5), all supplemented with 2 m3 of vinasse. The response variables: pH, electrical conductivity, moisture, ash, organic matter, moisture retention, the carbon-nitrogen ratio, the total oxidizable organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc, were evaluated at the time when the initial compost piles were prepared, and the 42, 51, 59, 73 and 90 days after beginning the process. The results showed that the carbon- nitrogen mixtures initial ratio is critical for obtaining a good quality of compost. The T3 provided the best quality with the highest content of nutrients. The composting time ensuring adequate maturation levels for nutrients in the compost was 90 days.

Keywords : fertilizer; bagasse; sugarcane sludge; Saccharum officinarum; vinasse.

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