Ammonia Volatilization and Greenhouse Gases Emissions during Vermicomposting with Animal Manures and Biochar to Enhance Sustainability

Syed Turab Raza, Jia Liang Tang, Zulfiqar Ali, Zhiyuan Yao, Hamidou Bah, Hassan Iqbal and Xiao Ren
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Syed Turab Raza: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9, Section 4, Renmin Road-South, Chengdu 610041, China
Jia Liang Tang: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9, Section 4, Renmin Road-South, Chengdu 610041, China
Zulfiqar Ali: Laboratory of Environmental Health & Wildlife, Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Zhiyuan Yao: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9, Section 4, Renmin Road-South, Chengdu 610041, China
Hamidou Bah: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9, Section 4, Renmin Road-South, Chengdu 610041, China
Hassan Iqbal: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 100864, China
Xiao Ren: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9, Section 4, Renmin Road-South, Chengdu 610041, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: There is a huge potential for nutrient recovery from organic waste materials for soil fertility restoration as well as negative environmental emission mitigation. Previous research has found vermicomposting the optimal choice for converting organic waste into beneficial organic fertilizer while reducing reactive N loss. However, a great deal of the processes of greenhouse gases (GHG) and ammonia volatilization during vermicomposting are not well-documented. A field vermicomposting experiment was conducted by deploying earthworms ( Eisenia fetida ) with three types of agricultural by-products—namely, cow manure (VCM), pig manure (VPM), and biochar (VBC)—and crop (maize) residues compared with traditional composting (COM) without earthworms in the Sichuan Basin, China. Results showed that vermicomposting caused a decrease in electrical conductivity (EC) and total organic carbon (TOC) while increasing total nitrogen (TN). The greatest TN increase was found with VCM. The cumulative NH 3 volatilization in COM, VCM, VPM, and VBC during experimental duration was 9.00, 8.02, 15.16, and 8.91 kg N ha −1 , respectively. The cumulative CO 2 emissions in COM, VCM, VPM, and VBC were 2369, 2814, 3435, and 2984 (g·C·m −2 ), while for CH 4 , they were 0.36, 0.28, 4.07, and 0.19 (g·C·m −2 ) and, for N 2 O, they were 0.12, 0.06, 0.76, and 0.04 (g·N m −2 ), respectively. Lower emissions of N 2 O, CH 4 , and NH 3 were observed in VBC. We concluded that earthworms, as ecological engineers, enhanced reactive nutrients and reduced ammonia volatilization during vermicomposting in our test system. Overall, vermicomposting is proposed as an eco-friendly, sustainable technique that helps to reduce environmental impacts and associated health risks.

Keywords: vermicomposting; Eisenia fetida; nutrient cycling; C/N C/P ratios; maize residues; cumulative loadings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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