Sweet sorghum bagasse ? A source of organic manure
2014
s p wani | g l sawargaonkar | m pavani | ch ravinder reddy
G L Sawargaonkar, S P Wani, M Pavani, Ch Ravinder Reddy, 'Sweet sorghum bagasse ? A source of organic manure', pp.155-162, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, 2014
Show more [+] Less [-]Bagasse or silage is an important by-product in the sweet sorghum-basedethanol industry. Above ground biomass distribution in sweet sorghum forms90% of the total biomass produced and that includes stem, leaves and paniclewith grain. It is estimated that bagasse makes 30% of the total biomass ofsweet sorghum, which is composed of cellulose (15-25%), hemi cellulose (35-50%) and lignin (20-30%) with Net Calorific value: 4,125 Kcal kg-1 (ash free);depending on the genotypes (Grassi 2001). Approximate composition of sweetsorghum bagasse is given in Table 1. It is estimated that 6-7 kg of bagassewill be produced for every liter of ethanol produced from sweet sorghum.Even though bagasse has multiple uses such as being a source for energycogeneration, animal feed and organic manure, it is important to work out thetrade-offs between its uses as a source of bio-fuel and carbon balance in thewhole production-to-consumption chain. In this context, recycling of bagasseinto organic manure and using it in the crop husbandry is an environmentallysafe measure of sequestering carbon in the soil. Sweet sorghum is promotedin the semi-arid regions where organic carbon content in the soil is generallylow and the application of bagasse as organic manure assumes greatimportance for sustaining the soil fertility. The direct application of bagasseto the soil causes temporary lock up (immobilization) of soil nitrogen (N) dueto wider C: N (~35:1) ratio and hence, it is important to bring down the C:N ratio by vermicomposting to use it as organic manure. Composting is thevalue addition method for enriching organic residues with low N content andthis can be done either through microbial flora or along with earthworms.Generally, composting of organic residues with earthworms is referred to asvermicomposting, which is a rapid and simple method. The composition ofvermicompost is superior in terms of macro and micro nutrients; besides,it is rich in plant growth promoting substances. The composting of sweetsorghum bagasse with earthworms is focused in the project and protocol wasstandardized for the same through laboratory and on farm trials
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