Study on Physico-Chemical Properties of Vermicompost Developed Under Varied Agricultural Wastes

The experiment was carried out during 2004–2005 at Radiotracer lab of department of SSAC, MAU, Parbhani with seven treatments and five replications, laid out in design Randomized Block Design (RBD). The physic-chemical properties such as bulk density, porosity, water holding capacity, pH, EC and organic carbon at various stages viz 30, 60 and 90 days after completion of vermicompost were recorded. The significantly bulk density of vermicompost produced from different agricultural waste were recorded from 0.93 g/cc to 1.26 g/cc during various phases i.e. from 30 to 90 days of vermicomposting process. Whereas, porosity increases in all the treatments. Glyricidia recorded highest porosity (64.91) percent at 90 days followed by vegetable waste(62.64 percent). The significantly low porosity were recorded in treatment (T₂) i.e. wheat straw(57.36 percent) and treatment (T₁) i.e. sunflower husk (58.49 percent) on 90ᵗʰ days respectively. The water holding capacity significantly increases as vermicompost is leading towards maturity. It ranged from 49.23 to 54.67 percent in garden waste (T₅) and glyricidia(T₄) at 90 days respectively. The pH determination during vermicompost production was in between 7.07 and 7.29. There was significantly less reduction in pH under wheat straw (T₂), sunflower husk (T₁) and garden waste (T₅). The gradual decrease in electrical conductivity was observed with the passing of time of vermicomposting. At 90 days of vermicomposting it ranged from 0.35 and 0.58 dSm⁻¹ under sunflower husk(T1) and parthenium (T7) respectively. The organic carbon varied from 32.34 to 54.13 percent indicating lowest and highest organic carbon at garden waste(T5) and wheat straw (T2) respectively. The influence of sugarcane trash(T3) and glyricidia(T4) on organic carbon was encouraging at 30, 60 and 90 days of vermicomposting when comparedwithparthenium (T7) and wheat straw (T2).