Philippine E-Journals

Research Note: Nutrient Evaluation of Compost and Vermicast Produced Through On-site Production Technique

Feliciano G. Sinon | Mark D. Atanasio

 

Abstract:

This study, evaluates the process flowof nutrient from rawmaterials to compost to vermi fertilizer, and to assess the possibility of on-site organic fertilizer production technique. Four different types of weeds such as Cogon (Imperata cylindrica), Hantutuknaw (Melastoma malabaticum), Hagunoy (Chromolaena odorata) and Bugang (Saccharum spontaneum) were collected in the project site of Guinsangaan, Inopacan, Leyte. Thesewere shredded (using the mobile Plant Power Shredder) and placed inside a 1m× 1m× 1mblack plastic screen (9 mesh per cm ). The materials were allowed to decompose simulating the 2 field condition. A 3/7 parts of chicken manure, 3/7 parts of soil taken from the project area and 1/7 parts of the compostwere mixed together inside the screen container (approx ½ m mixture). Three hundred grams of night 3 crawler vermi were placed inside the container with the mixture. Each plastic screen was also placed inside the bin with silk screen (approx 200 mesh)bottomwhichwere laid flat in the shadedandmoist area. The temperatures inside the bin ranged from 23 C to 30 C which were 0 0 conducive for the growth of theworms. The Night Crawler thrived and grew in the open field condition—theweight of the stockedworms increased by 3.33%to16.67%. NPK contents of the vermicast from the different bedding materials were more or less similar, although initially, these were obviously different. Hagonoy composts which was abundant in the marginal uplands was 2.5% higher inNcompared toCogon,BugangandHantutuknaw.