Environmental impact from vermicomposting of organic waste in Kampala, Uganda

Komakech, Allan John; Zurbrügg, Christian; Miito, Gilbert J.; Wanyama, Joshua; Vinnerås, Björn

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.06.028

Cited by 36 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In terms of GHG emissions, vermicomposting of cattle manure had a global warming potential (GWP) of 324 kg CO2 eq t −1 waste after three months of evaluation [24] as compared to GWP of 605 kg CO2 eq t −1 waste, 741 kg CO2 eq t −1 waste, and 605 kg CO2 eq t −1 waste from composting, stockpiling, and anaerobic digestion of cattle manure for the same evaluation period [49]. On the other hand, Komakech et al [18] reported about 1670-2740 kg CO2 eq t −1 during the production process of DAP.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Soil Manure and Manure-derived Productsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Organic fertilizer trials were carried at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) (00 28 06" N, 320 36 24" E), located about 20 km north of the Ugandan capital Kampala. The annual rainfall of the area is about 1300 mm and average temperatures vary between 20-28 • C [18]. The field soils, which are oxisols, are often acidic with moderate levels of organic matter [19,20].…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparative Performance of Organic Fertilizers in Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth, Yield, and Economic Results

et al. 2020

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Maize is a major crop grown and consumed in Uganda and it requires a high fertilizer input. However, the existing inorganic fertilizers in the market are often not affordable especially to small scale farmers, which results in decreased maize yields in the country. On the other hand, there is an abundance of unutilized animal manure, which, when treated, can be used to increase maize yields. This study evaluated the response of maize to products of different cattle manure treatment methods as well as inorganic fertilizer. The treatments such as cattle manure stored under shade (T), cattle manure stored in the open (M), cattle manure slurry digestate (S), vermicompost (V), and an inorganic fertilizer, DAP (D) were all applied in completely randomized block plots at an equal application rate of 50 kg N ha−1 with four replications per treatment. Control plots (C) where no fertilizer was applied were also considered. The experiment was done for two planting seasons in 2018. Number of leaves, plant height, cob, and grain yields were used to evaluate the performance of different fertilizer treatments. Economic assessment of all the six treatments was also carried out to determine the economic viability of applying these fertilizers on maize. Maize growth parameters and yields were all significantly increased (p < 0.05) with an application of both organic and inorganic fertilizers when compared with the control. However, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the maize yields under the different fertilizer treatments. Vermicomposting was the most economically viable manure treatment method due to low operating costs and higher returns on investment that are supplemented with the production of chicken fodder (earthworm biomass) and, thus, can be recommended to farmers for production of a fertilizer that increases maize yields with assurance of economic returns.

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Section: Characteristics Of Soil Manure and Manure-derived Productsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Performance of Organic Fertilizers in Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth, Yield, and Economic Results

et al. 2020

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“…Gaseous emissions from vermicomposting of various substrates, such as sewage sludge [20], agricultural wastes [21], vegetable waste, cattle manure, sawdust [22], duck manure [23], fruit and vegetable home leftovers [24], woodchips [25], sheep manure [26], and household wastes [27], have been looked at before. In Uganda, gaseous emissions (CH 4 , N 2 O, and NH 3 ) from vermicomposting systems using cattle manure as a substrate were analyzed by Komakech et al [28]. However, in their study, emissions were measured only once throughout the course of a single vermicomposting cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of a Cattle Manure Vermicomposting System Using Material Flow Analysis: A Case Study from Uganda

et al. 2019

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Growth in cattle population is associated with increased manure generation whose current management in low-income countries is associated with health and environmental problems as well as low utilization rates. This trend can be reversed by promoting better manure management technologies. This study assessed vermicomposting as one of the technologies to manage organic wastes, using the case study in Uganda. A vermicomposting system using cattle manure and earthworms (Eudrilus euginea) was monitored for one year with the harvesting of products (compost, earthworm biomass) after every three months. Vermicompost samples from the beginning of the experiment and after every harvest were analyzed for the following parameters: pH, ash content, volatile and total solids, nutrients N, P, K, and C. Emissions of CO2, CH4, NH3, and N2O were also measured. Material flow analysis was used to determine the flows and retention of nutrients within the system. Results showed that total solids, ash, N, P, and K content significantly increased, while contents of volatile solids and C, as well as the pH, significantly decreased over time. Of the materials that entered the vermicomposting system, 46% went to vermicompost, 2% into earthworms, and 52% was lost to the atmosphere. Substance flow analysis showed that 30% of C went to vermicompost, 69% was emitted to the atmosphere, and 2% ended up in earthworms while 75% of N was transferred to vermicompost, 7% went to earthworms, and 18% escaped into the atmosphere. The cumulative emissions were 102 g CO2 kg−1 waste, 7.6 g CH4 kg−1 waste, and 3.943 × 10−5 g N2O kg−1 waste on a dry basis, while NH3 was not detected throughout the measurement time. Compared to other manure management methods, vermicomposting demonstrated good potential in conserving nutrients as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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“…Vermicomposting is a biologically driven process where organic waste is converted to nutrient-rich soil using worms. This vermicompost product can be used as biofertilizer, which acts as a substitute for chemically produced inorganic fertilizers [4,5]. However, vermicomposting is a time-consuming and maintenance-intensive process with a low resistance to microbial contamination [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This vermicompost product can be used as biofertilizer, which acts as a substitute for chemically produced inorganic fertilizers [4,5]. However, vermicomposting is a time-consuming and maintenance-intensive process with a low resistance to microbial contamination [4,5]. On the other hand, from a waste collection perspective, incineration is an attractive choice because there is no need for segregation of food waste at the source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Cost Benefit Analysis of Operating Compressed Biomethane (CBM) Transit Buses in Cities of Developing Nations: A Case Study

et al. 2019

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Cities in developing nations have to deal with two significant sustainability challenges amidst rampant urbanization. First, consumer-generated food waste is increasing monumentally since open dumping is still followed as a predominant practice, the negative environmental externalities associated with food waste disposal are growing beyond manageable proportions. Second, the dependency on conventional fuels like diesel to operate transit buses, which is one of the major causes for deteriorating urban air quality. A nexus established between food waste management and operation of transit buses can improve the sustainable performance of cities in developing nations. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) supported Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) is performed by considering a hypothetical scenario of establishing a large food waste treating biomethanation plant in Mumbai, India. The food waste from the city is transported to a biomethanation plant where it is subjected to an anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The biogas produced as a byproduct is upgraded to compressed biomethane (CBM) and used as a vehicle fuel to operate transit buses within the city. The LCA results suggest that CBM buses can reduce greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions by 60% compared to diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Fossil depletion potential of CBM buses is 98% lower than diesel, suggesting CBM’s importance in decoupling developing nations dependency on imported crude oil. The SCBA considers: (a) costs to stakeholders, i.e., fees for open dumping of food waste and cost of fuel for operating transit buses; and (b) social costs incurred by negative environmental externalities (obtained by monetizing LCA results) resulting from both, open dumping as well as fuel combustion. SCBA results indicate that the food waste-based CBM model can save 6.86 billion Indian rupees (USD 99.4 million) annually for Mumbai. The savings are made due to a reduction in stakeholder’s costs (fuel) coupled with societal, i.e., environmental externality costs if entire transit bus fleet operates on CBM fuel instead of conventional fuel mix (33:67 diesel to CNG) currently used. Although the study is performed for Mumbai, the results will be replicable to any city of developing nations facing similar issues.

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Environmental impact from vermicomposting of organic waste in Kampala, Uganda

Cited by 36 publications

References 22 publications

Comparative Performance of Organic Fertilizers in Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth, Yield, and Economic Results

Comparative Performance of Organic Fertilizers in Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth, Yield, and Economic Results

Assessment of a Cattle Manure Vermicomposting System Using Material Flow Analysis: A Case Study from Uganda

Social Cost Benefit Analysis of Operating Compressed Biomethane (CBM) Transit Buses in Cities of Developing Nations: A Case Study

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