Effect of compost maker on composting and compost quality

Abstract

Compost and its liquid product can be used as an organic fertiliser. Bulking agent, microbial inoculants or compost maker can be added to improve the composting process. Compost maker is an organic substance that speeds up the composting process. It contains microorganisms that can speed up the degradation process and reduce the odour emitted during composting. Limited studies have reported the effect of compost maker on composting and its end quality. The aim of the study is to characterise the nutrient characteristics of the food waste compost treated with compost maker. The correlation between the nutrients in compost and its bio-liquid was investigated. A two-stage composting system, i.e. facultative and aerobic system, will be used. The raw materials used for composting included the post-consumed food waste, shredded palm leaves as the bulking agent and matured compost as the compost maker. Two formulations were conducted: (i) food waste composted with the shredded palm leaves and compost maker using the ratio of 2:1:1 and (ii) food waste composted with the shredded palm leaves (1:1) without the presence of compost maker as the control. The results showed that the first formulation reported the higher contents in nitrogen and potassium as compared to the control. The macronutrients of the solid compost are positively correlated with the respective bio-liquid fertiliser. The use of compost maker is recommended as a supplement to improve the quality of both the solid and liquid compost product.