Co-composting solid biowastes with alkaline materials to enhance carbon stabilization and revegetation potential.

Co-composting biowastes such as manures and biosolids can be used to stabilize carbon (C) without impacting the quality of these biowastes. This study investigated the effect of co-composting biowastes with alkaline materials on C stabilization and monitored the fertilization and revegetation values of these co-composts. The stabilization of C in biowastes (poultry manure and biosolids) was examined by their composting in the presence of various alkaline amendments (lime, fluidized bed boiler ash, flue gas desulphurization gypsum, and red mud) for 6 months in a controlled environment. The effects of co-composting on the biowastes' properties were assessed for different physical C fractions, microbial biomass C, priming effect, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, bioavailable phosphorus, and revegetation of an urban landfill soil. Co-composting biowastes with alkaline materials increased C stabilization, attributed to interaction with alkaline materials, thereby protecting it from microbial decomposition. The co-composted biowastes also increased the fertility of the landfill soil, thereby enhancing its revegetation potential. Stabilization of biowastes using alkaline materials through co-composting maintains their fertilization value in terms of improving plant growth. The co-composted biowastes also contribute to long-term soil C sequestration and reduction of bioavailability of heavy metals.

Biological and chemical reactivity and phosphorus forms of buffalo manure compost, vermicompost and their mixture with biochar.

This study characterized the carbon and phosphorus composition of buffalo manure, its compost and vermicompost and investigated if presence of bamboo biochar has an effect on their chemical and biological reactivity. The four substrates were characterized for chemical and biochemical composition and P forms. The biological stability of the four substrates and their mixtures were determined during an incubation experiment. Their chemical reactivity was analyzed after acid dichromate oxidation. Biological reactivity of these substrates was related to their soluble organic matter content, which decreased in the order buffalo manure>compost>vermicompost. Phosphorus was labile in all organic substrates and composting transformed organic P into plant available P. The presence of biochar led to a protection of organic matter against chemical oxidation and changed their susceptibility to biological degradation, suggesting that biochar could increase the carbon sequestration potential of compost, vermicompost and manure, when applied in mixture.

Improving bioavailability of phosphorous from cattle dung by using phosphatase immobilized on natural clay and nanoclay.

The high P retention of acidic Andisols makes necessary to increase our technological approaches in pasture management in the animal system production. Here, we evaluated the clay- or nanoclay-acid phosphatase complexes for improving phosphorus mineralization from degraded cattle dung. We implemented an immobilization mechanism of acid phosphatase (AP) using natural clays (allophanic and montmorillonite) and nanoclays as support materials. Also, we evaluated the mineralization of organic P containing in decomposed cattle dung with clay- and nanoclay-AP complexes by incubation studies. Clays and nanoclays were characterized by microscopy techniques as atomic force and confocal-laser scanning microscopy. We found that these support materials stabilized AP by encapsulation. Our results showed that immobilization on allophanic or montmorillonite materials improved both the specific activity (4-48%) and the V(max) (28-38%) of AP. Moreover, the enzyme had a better performance when immobilized on clay and nanoclay from Andisol than on montmorillonite materials. Phosphorous mineralization of cattle dung was regulated by water-soluble P present in the dung and P re-adsorption on allophanic materials. However, we were able to detect a potential capacity of AP immobilized on allophanic nanoclays as the best alternative for P mineralization. Further research with initially low water-soluble P containing organic materials is required to quantify the P mineralization potential and bioavailability of P from dung.