The effects of inoculating with microorganisms on chicken manure compost with maize straw were investigated in a self-built aerated static box (0.6 m3) by assessing the influences of temperature, moisture, pH, C/N ratio, transformation of nitrogen, humification levels and composting maturity. Results showed that inoculation with microorganisms prolonged the thermophilic stage in composting compared to control groups, increasing the temperature, pH and germination index as the composting period progressed. This suggests that inoculation with microorganisms were helpful in facilitating the process of composting, as it significantly reduced NH4+ content during the cooling stage. Additionally, NO3- increased after the first pile turning on day 10, continuing until the end of thermophilic stage. Improvements across transformation of nitrogen, humification levels and composting maturity were also seen in inoculation piles. Conclusively, we suggested inoculating using cocktails of microorganisms to increase efficiency and promote maturity in chicken manure composting.
Keywords: Chicken manure; Composting; Inoculation; Microorganism.
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