Enriching Kitchen Waste Compost With The Indigenous Plant Velvet Beans (Mucuna Pruriens)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Composting kitchen waste is a sustainable means of managing some organic portions of municipal solid waste to mitigate the huge problem at dumping sites. However, most of the compost produced has minimal nutritional composition. This study was conducted to enrich kitchen waste compost by co-composting kitchen waste and Mucuna pruriens in different mixing ratios and different turning frequencies. METHODOLOGY: Aerobic composting method was used for the study in a completely randomized design (CRD), with four treatments set in triplicates. The mixing was in ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 of kitchen waste and Mucuna pruriens by weight (kg) in aerated composting baskets. The mixture that produced the best compost was subjected to three different turning rates every 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days turning frequency to access the impact of the turning frequencies on the compost performance. The temperature of the treatments was monitored daily and was moisturized with water to about 40-60% by volume of all the treatments before turning. The physicochemical, nutritional, and biological properties were analysed at the time (0, on the 28 th day and 56th day) of composting. RESULTS: The result indicated that compost quality in terms of physicochemical and nutritional content significantly increased in compost with Mucuna Pruriens properties as compare to the control with average (N%) (3.18±0.14%) as compare (1.96±0.1, phosphorus (P%) increased at the end at (1.76±0.11%) as compared to (1.00±0.14%) of the control and the potassium levels are as follow (2.62±0.20%) and (2.88±0.17%) of the raw kitchen waste. However, there was no significant difference among mixing ratio treatments. Again, the best turning frequency in terms of available nutrients NO3-N, Potassium (K), and Phosphorus (P) are T1 (turned every 3 days) had NO3-N (mg/kg)-(3792±1082.25), K (mg/kg)- (4875.33±406.87), P (mg/kg)-(279.89±47.48), T2 (turned every 5 days) also had NO3-N (mg/kg)- (4752.67±1245.37) K (mg/kg)-(4875.33±390.29), P (mg/kg)-(294.65±47.09), T3 (turned every 7 days) also had NO3-N (mg/kg)-(4296.33±1341.15), K (mg/kg)- (6062.67±1667.39), P (mg/kg)-(290.14±83.76). Control= NO3 -N (mg/kg) -(2491±522.47), K (mg/kg)- (4988±298.21), P(mg/kg) (228.64±45.98). CONCLUSION & RECOMENTDATION: Generally, mucuna pruriens seeds have the capacity to enrich the nutritional value, improve the physico-chemical and the quality of compost with 60:40 as the best mixing ratio based on the nominal values with weekly turning interval was the best at (p<0.05) because it allowed time for microbial activities and the mineralization. Policy maker, compost industry and farmer should adopt and incorporate the use of mucuna proriens as a compost amendment factor to enriched and improve the quality of compost. These will foster environmental protection, improve socio-economic development and boost the agriculture industry for a sustainable development.