Biotransformation of Flower Waste: Effect of Bulking Agent and Microbes

Abstract

Abstract In India, the flower or temple waste engendered from various sources also gets commingled with the municipal/urban solid waste or directly disposed of in the river. India is in the second position after China for flower waste generation worldwide. The high organic content of flower waste can be used to develop nutrient-rich compost that can further be used for the growth of plants. However, bulking agents (dry leaves/sawdust/coco-peat) and microbes (culture/manure) can affect composting. Thus, the prime objective of this study was to understand the effect of sawdust and cow dung manure on composting process. Two earthen pots were prepared with a 70%:10%:20% ratio of flower waste: cow dung manure: and sawdust, respectively. The other two pots with 70%:20%:10% ratio of flower waste: cow dung manure: and sawdust, respectively. An earthen pot with 100 % flower waste (control experiment) was also analysed throughout the study. The variation in temperature, moisture content, pH, conductivity, volatile content, ash, CO2 evolution, phosphate, and Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) was monitored to achieve the objective of the whole study. The presence of sawdust was observed to be important by arresting leachate and maintaining aeration in the waste mixture, but cow dung manure also played a significant role in making more microbes and nutrients available for speeding up the process. The control experiment showed lump formation in the waste mixture due to excessive moisture development. Stable, mature, and nutrient-rich compost was obtained at the end of the composting process.