Abstract

TORTAROLO, María Fernanda; PEREDA, Matías; PALMA, Martha  and  ARRIGO, Nilda Marta. Influence of inoculation of microorganisms on the temperature in the process of composting. Cienc. suelo [online]. 2008, vol.26, n.1, pp.41-50. ISSN 1850-2067.

Man's activity generates an enormous volume of waste which, at present, is causing severe storage problems worldwide. Composting is a possible alternative to storage. The objectives of this work were to measure the evolution of temperature during the process of organic material composting with different C/N ratios, with and without inoculation with microorganisms, so as to select the shortest composting time. This process was carried out in the Experimental Fields of the Faculty of Agronomy (University of Buenos Aires) on three initial materials: organic residuals of pruning waste and organic residuals of pruning waste and horse manure in two proportions: 1:1 and 3:1, respectively. The triplicate treatments consisted of the inoculation with microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and bacteria + fungi), mature compost and addition of amino acids as a source of nitrogen; and their respective controls. The treatments that received inoculums reached higher temperatures and showed a smaller fluctuation during the thermophilic phase (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between treatments with and without nitrogen additions. The highest temperature peaks were reached between the second and fourth day after the beginning of the process in the inoculated treatments, and on the eighth day in the controls. The C/N ratio of the initial material conditioned composting time, which was shorter in the materials with the smallest ratio that wereinoculated with microorganisms and nitrogen.

Keywords : Pruning waste; Horse manure; Bacteria; Fungi.

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