Recycling of municipal solid waste into valuable organic fertilizer towards rejuvenation of crop physiology, yield and soil health

Though application of chemical fertilizers has contributed significantly to the huge increase in the world food production, the adverse impacts of it are well known. To develop an organic farming system an experiment was conducted on paddy, in old alluvial soil zone, with vermicompost prepared from screened municipality solid waste and different doses of bio-fertilizer and chemical fertilizer which is productive, profitable, enhances soil health and conserves the natural resource. We compared crop yields, crop morphological and morpho-physiological characters along with economical analysis obtained from three consecutive years experiment (2017 to 2019) along with long-term soil sustainability. It has been observed that 25% NPK fertilizer can safely be supplemented by low cost and natural resource-based vermicompost at 2.5 t ha(-1) to achieve long-term sustainability in paddy cultivation that is more productive and profitable.

Automated summary

This study compares the use of chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers in paddy cultivation. It finds that low-cost vermicompost can effectively replace a portion of chemical fertilizers, resulting in increased yields and profits, as well as improved soil health and conservation of natural resources.