Microbial populations in blends of sugarcane filter mud compost or worm castings with biochar

Authors: Wright, Maureen; Lima, Isabel

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Worm castings are the product of vermicomposting, the conversion of organic material by earthworms to a byproduct that can beneficially enhance soil. Sugarcane filter mud can be converted by composting to a beneficial soil amendment. The consistency of worm castings and filter mud is not conducive to even dispersal in or on soil. Previous work has shown that blending with biochar can provide a consistency suitable for mixing with soil, without affecting the beneficial physico-chemical or microbial properties of worm castings or mud compost. While microbes were enumerated in the previous study, this work reports the qualitative identification of the microbes present in the blends. The identified microbial populations were found to include several that contribute to plant growth, and to not include any that are known to cause human illness. The data support future studies of the potential for these blends to replace non-sustainable soil amendments such as peat moss.

Technical Abstract: Soil amendments are used to improve soil quality, thereby enhancing plant growth and health. Efforts have been made to introduce novel non-synthetic chemical enhancers, and to reduce the use of natural products such as peat moss, the harvesting of which can be harmful to marine ecosystems. Viable replacements include worm castings, which can contribute beneficial microbes as well as physico-chemical enhancers. Another potential soil amendment is the compost produced from the processing of sugarcane. The texture of worm castings and sugarcane mud compost is less than ideal for even dispersal onto fields. The addition of biochar improves the texture of both. Blending with biochar from sugarcane byproducts added physico-chemical benefits to both amendments, while not quantitatively reducing the microbial load, even after storage. Analysis of the microbial populations of the blends revealed that they contained taxonomic groups that contribute to plant health and do not contain human pathogens.