Comparative Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Commercially Available Windrow Compost Sample and Privately prepared Invessel Compost samples

In developing countries like Pakistan the organic waste production is comparatively high. Composting is a good option to overcome problems related to management of organic waste. Compost produced from solid waste should be according to the standards set for soil to ensure beneficial results in plants. The objectives of the study were to determine the quality of compost used in agricultural lands in different areas of country.In the study area the commercially available compost is prepared by windrow composting method. Some home gardeners prepare compost by invessel method. But the sale of commercial compost decreased with the passage of time. One of the reasons behind this includes low quality compost and less desired results in terms of soil fertility. Comparative analysis of windrow compost sample and in-vessel compost samples were carried out to identify the fate of these composts in terms of international standards. Analysis results revealed that some parameters were lower than standard values i.e. moisture content was less than 45% in all samples, carbon nitrogen (C:N) ratio was less than 25 which should be >25, available carbon was < 35% in all samples and burned carbon was also <35% in all samples. Compost is used as a soil conditioner and low level fertilizer however if its nutritional value is not according to the standard it maybe no longer beneficial for plants. Substandard compost can also cause microbial degradation in soil and can make it anaerobic as well.