[Manyuchi, 1(1): March, 2014]

GLOBAL JOURNAL O

IMPACT OF VERMM. M. Manyuc

*1Department of Chemical and ProceSchool of Engineering and Techn

Vermicomposting is an envmanagement. Waste corn pulp blendeproduce vermicompost which is a solidwith peas at the planting phase and afteApplication of vermicompost resulted potassium content respectively. Further10% increase in nutrient compositioVermicompost can be used for sustainab Keywords: bio-fertilizer, peas, soil prop

I. INTRODUCTION Vermicomposting of organic w

being used as a solid waste manageme[1-2]. During vermicomposting, epigeiingest the organic wastes and are vermicasts after a bioconversion prearthworms gut [3-5]. These vermicasvermicompost and are rich with the feand micronutrients [2; 5]. Vermicomposliving microorganisms and have a highumus like material [2; 5]. This vermicoutilized as a bio-fertilizer which is enfriendly [6-9]. Vermicompost has bsustainable agriculture and was foundplant growth [1]. Vermicompost has beseveral plants including strawberries, lettuce and maize [1; 3; 5; 8; 10-12]. Ththis study focused on quantifying thvermicompost on peas cultivphysicochemical properties. Peas (Pisua leguminous vegetable crop which can2-3 months. Peas thrive best in silt loamor clay loam soils [13]. Ideal temperatuof 13-18◦C and pH of 6.0-7.0 is recomm

II. MATERIALS AND METHOMaterials

Waste corn pulp blended wimanure and office paper was vermicomdays using Eisenia fetida earthwormswaste and earthworms were covered create ideal conditions for vermicompo

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OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND RESE

RMICOMPOST ON PEAS CULTIVATED uchi*1, T. Mudamburi2, A. Phiri1and P. Muredzi3

ocess Systems Engineering, 2Department of Technoprechnology, Harare Institute of Technology, 256 Ganges

Harare, Zimbabwe mmanyuchi@hit.ac.zw

ABSTRACT nvironmentally friendly technique that is used for orded with cow dung and office paper was vermicomposteolid bio-fertilizer. The vermicompost was applied to clay-fter every four weeks. The impact of vermicompost on the ed in a 33%, 40%, and 67% increase in the soil nitrogenhermore, Zinc, copper, manganese and iron indicated a 9ition. The peas showed vigor and vitality during the nable agriculture practices easing food shortages hence impr

roperties, vermicompost, food demand

c waste is widely ment technology geic earthworms re expelled as process in the

casts are termed fertilizer macro post also contain high content of icompost can be environmentally been used in und to stimulate been applied to es, tomato, rice, The objective of the impact of ltivated’s soil isum Sativum) is can be grown in am, sandy loams rature conditions mmended [13].

HODS

with cow dung omposted for 30 ms. The organic d with grass to posting (Fig 1).

The nutrient composition of thindicated in Table 1.

Fig 1: Vermicomposting bein

TABLE I: Vermicompost From Composition

Nutrient

N (%) P (%) K (%)

Na (ppm) Mg (ppm) Cu (ppm) Zn (ppm) Fe (ppm) Mn (ppm)

ience And Researches [1-3]

SEARCHES

D SOIL

preneurship , 3Dean-es Rd, Belvedere,

organic solid waste sted over 30 days to -loam soil cultivated

he soil was quantified. gen, phosphorous and 91%, 67%, 56% and e period of growth. proved food security.

the vermicompost is

eing done in bins

m Waste Corn Pulp

Vermicompost composition

4.19 1.15 6.18 4.85 6.58 0.57 1.35

162.30 1.62

[Manyuchi, 1(1): March, 2014]

Methods The clay loam soil pH a

conductivity were determined by a HaInstrument. 5g of the soil was dissolvewater and allowed to settle bmeasurements. The nitrogen and content were determined by a Shimspectrophotometer. The potassium contwas determined by a Cary Mspectrophotometer. The raw soil had a moisture content of 54%..

Green Arrow peas seeds were pdeep in loam-clay soils and the seedsapart from each other and 150mm betwpeas beds were regularly watered tadequate moisture content. The peas segerminated at day 4-5. The lettuce wgrow for 2 months and vermicomposupon planting and after every 4 weeks.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSThe peas planted using the ver

indicated in Fig 2. The peas shows vigdue to the bio-fertilizer addition as welof the microbial inoculants presvermicompost to the soil.

Fig 2: Peas grown using vermicompost as Impact on soil nitrogen, phosppotassium content

Nitrogen exists as ammoniumNH4

+ and NO3- in the soil for ready upt

Addition of vermicompost increased available in the soil by 33% in the peascompared to the virgin soil (see Fig because of addition of extra ammoniumthe vermicompost due to mineralizaFurthermore, peas as a leguminous tendency of fixing nitrogen from the so[13]. In addition, Rhizobium leguminoinoculated to the pea seeds beforepromote nitrogen fixation to thePhosphorous exists as phosphates H2PO

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and electrical Hanna HI 9810 lved in 10ml of before taking

d phosphorous himadzu uv-vis

ontent in the soil Model AAS

a pH of 6.0 and

planted 25mm eds were 50mm tween rows. The to maintained seeds were 98%

was allowed to ost was applied

SSION ermicompost is

igor and vitality ell as the action resent in the

t as bio-fertilizer

sphorous and

ium nitrate ions, uptake by plants. ed the nitrogen as cultivated soil ig 3). This was um nitrates from lization [10-11]. us crop have a soil to the plant inosarum can be ore planting to the soil [13]. PO4

- and HPO42-

in the soil. Addition of vermicocultivated soil resulted in incrcontent by 40% (see Fig 3). Thaddition of extra slow release pvermicompost hence the increPotassium exists as K+ in thevermicompost in the peas cultiva67% increase of the potassium cThis was possibly because the pfrom the vermicompost was highthe composition in the soil (see Ta

Fig 3: Comparison of soil NPK incultivated soil

Impact on soil Zn, Cu, Mn and F

Zinc, copper, manganesthe soil as Zn2+, Cu2+, Mn2O3 respectively. Addition of vermcultivated soil significantly alteremicronutrients content (see Fig 4and Fe content increased significa56% and 10% respectively upovermicompost. Vermicompost increasing the micronutrients comsince it contains trace elemenconversion process [6, 8-9].

Fig 4: Comparison of soil micronutrpeas cultivated so

ience And Researches [1-3]

icompost in the peas creased phosphorous This was because of phosphates from the

crease [1; 10; 12]. the soil. Addition of ivated soil, resulted in content (see Fig 3).

e potassium available igh thereby increasing Table 1).

in raw soil and peas

oil

d Fe content ese and iron exist in and Fe2+ and Fe3+

rmicompost on peas tered the bio-fertilizer

4). The Zn, Cu, Mn ficantly by 91%, 67%, upon addition of the st has a tendency of omposition in the soil ents from the bio-

utrients in raw soil and

d soil

[Manyuchi, 1(1): March, 2014]

IV. CONCLUSION Vermicompost can be successf

bio-fertilizer for the growth of vermicompost impacts positively onavailable for uptake by the peas due toof living organisms in the vermicomstimulating growth. Vermicompostincan be used for sustainable agriculture p

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Harare Institute of T

thanked for funding this work.

VI. REFERENCES [1] C. Lazcano, and J. Domingue

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[2] M. M. Manyuchi, A. Phiri, N.Muredzi, J. Govha and T.Vermicomposting of Waste Blended with Cow Dung MEisenia Fetida. World AcademEngineering and Technology1306-1309.

[3] G. K. Chanda, G. BhuniaChakraborty. The effect of and other fertilizers on cultivaplants. Journal of HortiForestry, 2011, 3 (2), 42-45.

[4] M. M. Manyuchi, T. Chitambwand Kanhukamwe, Q. Contthrough vermireactor for mvermicomposting. Asian Engineering and Technology44-48.

[5] P. K. Ramasamy, K. BasIgnacimuthu. Influence of verkernel yield of maize (Zea MaAgriculture, 2011, 36, 3119-31

[6] Manyuchi, M. M., A. Phiri, P.T. Chitambwe. Comparison of and vermiwash bio-fertivermicomposting waste corn Academy of Science, EngiTechnology. 78, 365-368. 2013

[7] M. M. Manyuchi, T. ChitambwMuredzi and Q, Kanhukamwvermicompost, vermiwash antime on soil physicochemicaInternational Journal of CEnvironmental Engineering, 2press.

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