Composting of winery waste and characteristics of the final compost according to Brazilian legislation

Abstract

The waste generated in the production of wine and grape juice is characterized by a high concentration of organic matter, when properly treated, can serve as sustainable strategies for its use and destination, and among these, the production of biocompost. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the process of composting grape marc, sheep manure, and mango leaves, evaluating in the biocompost its physical-chemical, nutritional and microbiological characteristics for use in agriculture. The composting pile assembly followed the proportion of 30% of sheep manure as nitrogenous material and 70% of carbon-rich material (divided into 50% of grape marc and 20% of hose leaves), the initial C/N ratio was 33:1, and the process lasted 120 days according to legislation. When evaluating the results, the process occurred in an accelerated manner, where at 30 days the biocompost was already stabilized, and at the end of the process (120 days) it presented a C/N ratio of 5.85, as well as acceptable levels for the macronutrients K and P, and without risk of phytotoxicity, and could be used as organic fertilizer or as soil conditioner, reducing environmentally inadequate destination and generating savings with their reinsertion in the production chain.

Keywords:

• Agricultural reuse
• agroindustry
• biocompost
• C/N
• organic waste

Acknowledgements

We thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES), the Post-Graduation Program in Agricultural Engineering of the Federal University of São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF), the ‘Quintas de São Braz’ Winery, as well as the Laboratory of Soil Physics and Laboratory of Environmental Engineering (LEA), and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA).