An Investigation on the Optimum Composition of Suitable Co-composting Material for the Enhancement of the Soil Organic Carbon in Mango Orchards of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Natarajan, N.^{; *} | Sabadini, K.R. | Shunmuga Priya, R. | Anbarasan, A. | Sankar, V.

Affiliations: Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi – 642003, Tamil Nadu, India

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding Author. itsrajan2002@yahoo.co.in

Abstract: Soil organic carbon is an important component of the soil. Environmental pollution is increasing day by day leading to significant rise of carbon content in the atmosphere. Growing crops with manure having high soil organic carbon content can facilitate in the reduction of carbon content in the air and subsequent alleviation of environmental pollution. Hoping to fulfill the above objective, this study is aimed at determining the optimum content of suitable co-composting material for the enhancement of soil organic carbon of soil collected from a mango agricultural field. Natural materials, viz. tissue paper, paper ash, wooden powder, egg shells and organic waste matter have been used as co-composting materials. Soil organic carbon content was measured for various combinations of co-composted soil with natural soil. The results of the study suggest that wood ash proves to be a suitable co-composting material for increasing the soil organic carbon content of soil upto 125,847 kg C/ha for a combination of 40% organic co-composted soil and 60% wood ash co-composted soil.

Keywords: Soil organic carbon, co-composting, biodegradable materials, organic matter, wood ash

DOI: 10.3233/AJW-180009

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 87-91, 2018