Production of phosphate biofertilizer through composting and vermicomposting process

Abstract

The production of organic mineral fertilizers enriched with natural phosphates may increase the solubility of phosphorus, minimizing the dependence of acidulated phosphate fertilizers. In view of the above, the objective was to evaluate the bioavailability of nutrients due to the incorporation of phosphate sources through vermicomposting and composting. It was used a completely randomized design in a 4 x 3 factorial design, with five replicates and four sources of P (1 - Ammonium single superphosphate, 2 - Itafós phosphate, 3 - Araxá phosphate and 4 - termophosphate) and three methods of phosphorus sources addition in the production of organo-mineral fertilizer process: 1 - Vermicompost produced adding the P sources at the beginning of the vermicomposting process (VPB), 2 - Vermicompost produced adding the P sources at the end of the vermicomposting process (VPE) and 3 - Compound, non-vermicomposting, produced with addition of the P sources at the beginning of the composting process (CP). The addition of Araxá or Itafós natural phosphate in composting or after vermicomposting process leads to the production of an organo-mineral fertilizer with good availability of nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorus.

Properties of Vermicomposts Derived from Cameroon Sheep Dung

“…The increase in available forms of P in vermicompost increase the content of P in the soil at a pH close to neutral. In the case of pH values outside of 5-7, there will most probably be retrograde motion (that is reversible) of easily assimilate forms of P [70].…”