The Evolution of Compost Phytotoxicity during Municipal Waste and Poultry Manure Composting

Abstract

Composting is commonly used for waste management and the evaluation of its quality is important for successful application. Seed germination test is commonly adopted due to its capacity to examine the toxicity level of compost. The seed test is usually evaluated on the final product and the results can vary with the different methods and the type of seed utilized. In this study, the evolution of seed germination tests during the composting process of municipal waste (MSW) mixed with poultry manure (PM) of two species tomato and sugar beet was examined. The impact of compost water extracts on seed germination and plant primary root growth for each sampling was reported. The chemical parametrs were evaluated on the final product. Results show that mixture C1 with a higher amount of municipal waste gave less compost yield than mixture C2. After 35 days of composting, the compost was phytotoxic for tomato and sugar beet seeds. The seeds of the two cultures reacted differently to the same compost. The compost could stimulate sugar beet germination at days 110, 140, 180, 212 and 252. Seed germination of sugar beet was increased and delayed by one day by the compost stabilized and mature as compared with the control.