National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
A 15 day precomposted biomass of Parthenium hysterophorus in combination with cow dung (1:1, wt./wt.) was vermicomposted along with biochar amendment at different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8%) using the earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae for 50 days. The change of physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductance (EC), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), total organic carbon (TOC), C/N ratio and C/P ratio for the initial substrates, control (final substrate maintained without earthworms) and vermicompost was analyzed. Besides, the level of total microbial population, viz., bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were performed using the plate dilution technique. The results revealed that the treatment with 4-6% biochar enhanced the EC, total NPK and total microbial populations considerably in comparison with control substrates after 50 days. The 4% biochar amendment showed a maximum of 2.46% TKN followed by the 6% biochar amendment (2.25% TKN). The pH, TOC, C/N and C/P ratios in the vermicomposts of all the treatments were lowered from the initial levels with a maximum decline in biochar amendments. The initial C/N ratio of the substrates was ranged from 34.27 to 58.28 while the final range was found between 12.48 and 17.33. The total microbial population of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the final vermicompost was intensified in all the treatments. The findings of the present study reveal that the biochar amendment (4-6%) to vermicomposting of Parthenium hysterophorus+cow dung (1:1) improves the nutrient and total microbial population.
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