Comparing The Quality Of Two Composts Produced From Municipal Solid Waste and Bagasse/Broiler Litter

Abstract

In Mauritius, composting is viewed more as a means of waste disposal than a safe and environmental-friendly  process, the product of which can be used for agricultural purposes. The aim of this paper is to compare the  quality of two types of composts; one derived from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and the other from Bagasse and Chicken Waste (BCW) and assesses their response on Phaseolus vulgaris. The physical and chemical characteristics of the composts were analysed and the maturity of compost was also determined. The two composts were applied at 20 tons/ha and 40 tons/ha. Better plant response was obtained when MSW was applied at 40 tons/ha. When decreasing the level of MSW to 20tons/ha, no significant change was obtained in terms of number of flowers, number of pods, weight of pods, length and width of pods. It has been found that most of the quality parameters investigated fall within the range of standards established by United States Environment Protection Agency and that both MSW and BCW are good quality composts.

Keywords: composting, municipal solid wastes, quality, bagasse