Methane Fermentation Residue Compost Derived from Food Waste to Aid Komatsuna (Brassica rapa) Growth

One suitable solution to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) is to utilize methane fermentation residue obtained from food waste. However, methane fermentation residue compost is often difficult to use due to its inhibitory properties and pungent smell. To evaluate chemical parameters and plant growth, we examined the use of methane-fermented food waste residue compost (FWM), three types of animal manure, namely, horse manure (HM), cow manure (CWM), and chicken manure (CKM). Our results revealed that mixing food waste compost with cow and horse manure reduced the inhibition of Komatsuna germination, however, chicken manure blending limited inhibition reduction. The improvement of GI in the combination of FWM and animal manure was obtained at a ratio 1:4 with an improvement in GI of 20.8%, 16.8%, and 3.8% for combination FWM + HM, FWM + CWM, and FWM + CKM, respectively. The ratio of the combination of FWM + HM could be increased to a ratio of 2:3 with an improvement of 14.7%. Additionally, for Komatsuna growth, FWM with cow and horse manure mixer considerably enhanced plant growth and yield. Furthermore, the combination of FWM + HM and FWM + CWM could improve the ratio of NUE compost/NUE FWM with the values being 12.0 and 11.1, respectively. Therefore, combining FWM with CWM and HM increases the utility value of methane fermentation residues obtained from food waste as compost for maintaining soil fertility, while reducing the use of chemical fertilizer.

Automated summary

The study found that mixing food waste compost with cow and horse manure can significantly improve the growth and yield of Komatsuna. Additionally, combining FWM with CWM and HM can increase the utility value of methane fermentation residues obtained from food waste as compost while reducing the use of chemical fertilizer.