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OPTIMIZATION OF DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS OF COMPOST-TURNER-CUM-MIXER

KrishiKosh

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Title OPTIMIZATION OF DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS OF COMPOST-TURNER-CUM-MIXER
M Tech
 
Creator MOHAMMAD MUZAMIL
 
Contributor Indra Mani
 
Subject composting, costs, biological phenomena, productivity, research methods, wastes, crop residues, irrigation, fungi, harvesters
 
Description T-8625
The effect of Pusa compost inoculants i.e. consortium of micro-organisms and a newly designed machine Compost-turner-cum-mixer was studied to reduce the time of composting and for producing the better quality compost. An experimental setup was laid with varied quantity of inoculant so as to determine the optimum requirement of compost inoculants for effective composting in shortest possible time. The experiment was conducted with trapezoidal piles set at 30 m long, 1.2 m high, 2 m bottom width and 1.5 m top width and three levels of culture inoculum (500 ml, 1000 ml and 1500 ml) utilizing 44.44 tonne of agro-waste approximately and 24 tonne of 3-4 days old raw cow dung. The pile was operated for proper mixing at regular interval of 10 days using the compost turner cum mixer powered by 55.95 kW tractor. This operation ensured proper aeration and creating favourable conditions for microbial growth by arresting temperature increase during thermophilic phase. The attainment of peak temperature for destruction of pathogenic microbes was found to be affected by the inoculated culture. The peak temperature of 68C was attained at 1000 ml inoculated culture within 15 days, thereby, reducing the moisture loss by 13%. The reduction in density as 21.98% and 49.0% in the subsequent turnings reduced the power consumption from 7.93 kW to 6.13 kW and composting time to 45 days. The pile where 1000 ml culture inoculated resulted in increase in electrical conductivity from 1421 μS/m to 1640 μS/m, nitrogen availability from 0.31% to 0.672%, potassium from 0.51% to 1.33% and phosphorus from 0.18% to 0.61% from the initial turning to final compost preparation. The C: N ratio was also found to be better with 1000 ml pile and varied from 53:1 to 18:1 with neutral behaviour. All the measured parameters showed the conformity with the BIS standards for efficient composting. Thus, 1000 ml culture dose per tonne of material gave better results for all measured parameters and is recommended for efficient and nutritious composting to ensure sustainability in crop production.
 
Date 2016-09-21T19:44:21Z
2016-09-21T19:44:21Z
2012
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/78237
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher IARI, DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING