Quality and Efficiency of Value Added Coirdust based Compost

Coirdust, a by-product from coir industries, is a lignin-rich organic waste material. A study was formulated to standardise protocol for the synthesis of enriched-coirdust based compost using different organic and inorganic additives. The compost which was prepared with organic additives like cowdung, garden weeds, green manure (sunhemp) and inorganic additives like rock phosphate and micronutrients alongwith fungal inoculant Pleurotus sajor-coju recorded least lignin, lignin/N ratio and C/N ratio and was superior with respect to nutrient composition. Application of this compost at the rate of 10 t ha⁻¹ along with 50 per cent recommended NPK fertilizers for maize crop had recorded 12.5 per cent increase in grain yield over control which received recommended nutrients alone in the form of chemical fertilizers. This high value compost could he an important component of INM with 50 per cent savings of fertilizer.