Comparative study of sugarcane agro-industrial waste raw pressmud and composted pressmud: A case study

Sugarcane raw pressmud (SRP) and sugarcane composted pressmud (SCP) were collected from Chhatrapati Shahu Sahakri Sakhar Karkhana, Kagal, dist. Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Physico-chemical macro, micro-nutrients and heavy metals analysis of SRP and SCP for two consecutive crushing seasons i.e. 2015-16 and 2016-17. The pH was 6.21, percent total nitrogen 2.33, phosphorous 1.25, potassium was 2.33, 1.25 and 0.44. The moisture level recorded was 60.29%. The organic matter 29.17%, total organic carbon17.16%, C:N ratio 9.22%, Calcium 1.53% and 1.07%. Changed characters of SCP as pH 6.6, E.C. 58.7 mhos/cm, total Nitrogen 2.57%, Phosphorous 1.24%, Potassium 0.62%, moisture level 58.7%, organic matter 30.23% and total organic carbon 17.54%. The results suggest that the pH and Nitrogen are the two characters of the improved composted pressmud may increases in the yield of the crop plants.