Management of sugarcane trash and coal fly ash through vermi biotechnology

Abstract

In India, coal fly ash and sugarcane trash are produced in large quantities and the storage or spreading of this waste on land causes contamination of the atmosphere, soil and water. The aim of this study was to convert (CFA) and sugarcane trash (ST) mixed with cow dung (CD) into vermicompost using an epigeous earthworm Eisenia fetida (red worm). Five treatments containing CD, CFA and ST in different ratios namely CFA: ST: CD in 1:1:8 ratio (T1), CFA: ST: CD in 2:2:6 ratio (T2), CFA: ST: CD in 3:3:4 ratio (T3), CFA: ST: CD in 4:3:3 ratio (T4) and CFA: ST: CD in 3:4:3 ratio (T5) were run under laboratory conditions. The physicochemical changes of substrate materials in different treatments were measured at the end of vermicomposting (90 days). The vermicompost material showed decrease in Total Organic Carbon (TOC) (10.8-28.3g kg­1), pH (9.2-11.6) and Total Potassium (TK) (9.0-22.5g kg­1) and increase in Electrical Conductivity (EC) (12.6-14.1mS cm­1)), Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen (TKN) (33.3-95.2g kg­1) as well as Total Phosphorus (TP) (56.5-87.8g kg­1) contents. Eisenia fetida showed better growth performance in T1 treatment also worms grew favourably in T2 and T3 treatment. Greater proportion of CFA and ST in T4 and T5 treatment significantly reduces (p