Control of Nitrogen Loss during Co-Composting of Banana Stems with Chicken Manure

This work studied the effect of basic composting parameters (C/N ratio, turning frequency and moisture), initial pH, nitrogen source and fermenting agent on nitrogen loss (N-loss) during co-composting of banana stems with chicken manure in order to determine the best composting conditions. The experimental results suggested that co-compost with minimum N-loss entails operating at turning frequency with once two days, initial moisture content of 65% and C/N ratio of 25. NH3 volatilization and N-loss were weakened under neutral conditions. Moreover, the effect of additive organic wastes and fermenting agents on N-loss during the banana stems-chicken manure co-composting was significantly different: adding bagasse or fermenting agent M-1 could effectively reduce the release of nitrogen, promotes the nitrogen accumulation, and lead to the increase of total nitrogen (TN) by 6.1 % and 6.5 %, respectively; while N-loss was enhanced with addition of paddy straw and fermenting agent M-2, with TN decreasing rate of 11.5 % and 10.9 %.