Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield

Land degradation and agricultural waste management are worsened by unsustainable farming practices that are only concerned with boosting yields. Under the organic farming system, agricultural waste was transformed into soil amendment products via vermicomposting due to the ability of the process to...

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Main Author: Masri, Intan Nadhirah
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/112982/1/112982%20%28UPM%201%29.pdf
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spelling my-upm-ir.1129822024-10-23T08:16:14Z Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield 2021-10 Masri, Intan Nadhirah Land degradation and agricultural waste management are worsened by unsustainable farming practices that are only concerned with boosting yields. Under the organic farming system, agricultural waste was transformed into soil amendment products via vermicomposting due to the ability of the process to convert most green waste into a good quality amendment product in a short duration of time. The farming system used soil amendment to recover the physicochemical properties of degraded soil. However, in Malaysia, limited studies evaluate the potential of leguminous leaf trimmings as a source of feedstock and scrap office paper with yard compost as bulking material in vermicomposting. Therefore, a study was conducted to i) produce vermicompost from Gliricidia sepium trimming residue, scrap office paper and yard compost; ii) investigate the effect of the produced vermicompost on the physicochemical properties of potting soil at different ratios as a potting media of an organically grown choy sum mustard; iii) establish the optimum mixing ratio of vermicompost and potting soil for a maximum yield of organic choy sum mustard. The vermicomposting process was carried out according to the conventional vermi pit method, where Eudrillus eugeniae was utilised as the worm species. According to selected standards, the quality of the product and the potting mixtures were determined through standard chemical and physical analysis methods. The potting mixtures trials adopted a completely randomised design with three replications and six different potting mixture ratios treatments (Tl-20:80, T2-40:60, T3-60:40, T4-80:20, TS-100: 0 and T6-0: 100). The quality of organic choy sum mustard harvested was characterised according to FAMA: FS020-2001 standard. Results showed that the vermicompost produced from the study followed the required parameters according to MS 1517 and other international standards and significantly improved the choy sum mustard yield by more than 200% compared to control. In addition, the majority of the potting soil physicochemical properties were also significantly elevated by mixing with 60% vermicompost. In conclusion, it was viable to vermicompost waste materials such as leguminous leaf residue and scrap office paper with yard compost. The vermicompost product was able to improve degraded soil and provide sufficient nutrients for leafy vegetable growth. Vermicomposting Soils - Quality 2021-10 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/112982/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/112982/1/112982%20%28UPM%201%29.pdf text en public masters Universiti Putra Malaysia Vermicomposting Soils - Quality Karam Singh, Daljit Singh English
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection PSAS Institutional Repository
language English
English
advisor Karam Singh, Daljit Singh
topic Vermicomposting
Soils - Quality

spellingShingle Vermicomposting
Soils - Quality

Masri, Intan Nadhirah
Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
description Land degradation and agricultural waste management are worsened by unsustainable farming practices that are only concerned with boosting yields. Under the organic farming system, agricultural waste was transformed into soil amendment products via vermicomposting due to the ability of the process to convert most green waste into a good quality amendment product in a short duration of time. The farming system used soil amendment to recover the physicochemical properties of degraded soil. However, in Malaysia, limited studies evaluate the potential of leguminous leaf trimmings as a source of feedstock and scrap office paper with yard compost as bulking material in vermicomposting. Therefore, a study was conducted to i) produce vermicompost from Gliricidia sepium trimming residue, scrap office paper and yard compost; ii) investigate the effect of the produced vermicompost on the physicochemical properties of potting soil at different ratios as a potting media of an organically grown choy sum mustard; iii) establish the optimum mixing ratio of vermicompost and potting soil for a maximum yield of organic choy sum mustard. The vermicomposting process was carried out according to the conventional vermi pit method, where Eudrillus eugeniae was utilised as the worm species. According to selected standards, the quality of the product and the potting mixtures were determined through standard chemical and physical analysis methods. The potting mixtures trials adopted a completely randomised design with three replications and six different potting mixture ratios treatments (Tl-20:80, T2-40:60, T3-60:40, T4-80:20, TS-100: 0 and T6-0: 100). The quality of organic choy sum mustard harvested was characterised according to FAMA: FS020-2001 standard. Results showed that the vermicompost produced from the study followed the required parameters according to MS 1517 and other international standards and significantly improved the choy sum mustard yield by more than 200% compared to control. In addition, the majority of the potting soil physicochemical properties were also significantly elevated by mixing with 60% vermicompost. In conclusion, it was viable to vermicompost waste materials such as leguminous leaf residue and scrap office paper with yard compost. The vermicompost product was able to improve degraded soil and provide sufficient nutrients for leafy vegetable growth.
format Thesis
qualification_level Master's degree
author Masri, Intan Nadhirah
author_facet Masri, Intan Nadhirah
author_sort Masri, Intan Nadhirah
title Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
title_short Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
title_full Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
title_fullStr Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
title_full_unstemmed Vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
title_sort vermicompost application to improve soil physicochemical properties and organic choy sum yield
granting_institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
publishDate 2021
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/112982/1/112982%20%28UPM%201%29.pdf
_version_ 1818586131050004480