Comparative Study between Different Chopping Rotations and Raw Materials for Composting Process

                                                           
 



 



           RECYCLING of crop residues in agriculture through production of …… compost brings much needed organic matter to the soil. Composting was studied by using three chopping rotations 1000,1300 and 1500 rpm, three feeding rates of 0.250,0.500 and 0.750 t/h of both rice and corn residues and with application of mixture from different bacterial inocula (cellulose decomposing bacteria cellomonas sp., nitrogen fixing bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum, Phosphate dissolving bacteria Bacillus megatherium and Sacchromyces cervisiae).The performance of chopping machine during cutting rice straw and corn stalks residues in terms of particle size distribution, energy, C/N ratio, P, pH, microbial activities and maturity duration were experimentally investigated as a function of change in chopper drum speed and material feed rate. The results reveal that the farm residues chopping machines were recommended to be used for cutting the crop residues into small pieces to encourage the microbial activities. The best treatment was achieved with chopper drum speed of 1500 rpm and material feed rate of 0.250 t/h with biofertilizers application for both corn stalks and rice straw residues, which produced a compost with maturity period lower than compost without biofertilizers application, narrow C/N ratio, rich with mineral contents like P and K for corn stalks and rice straw, respectively.