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Abstract
A greenhouse experiment was conducted in loamy sand soil to compare the effects of agro-industrial waste composts on yield and nutrient uptake by wheat. The raw materials of agro-industrial wastes and chemical fertilizers were used as controls. The yields were significantly higher with agro-industrial waste composts compared with their raw materials. Compost-fertilized grain yields were increased by 118% with poultry waste compost and by 97% with chemical fertilizes compared with unfertilized control. Agro-industrial waste composts applied with NK (recommended dose) fertilizers, except distillery effluent compost, produced a wheat grain yield comparable with that obtained with NPK (recommended dose) fertilizers, indicating a net saving of 100% of P fertilizer. Application of agro-industrial waste composts significantly increased NPK uptake by wheat and improved the post-harvest NPK status of soil compared with addition of their raw materials. Up to 60 days of composting, severe suppression of tomato seed germination was observed, which improved thereafter in all the composts. Our results suggest that the germination index >70% may be accepted as an indicator for disappearance of phytotoxic substances.