Elaboración de compost a través de la lumbricultura utilizando los desechos sólidos orgánicos del mercado privado de la ciudad de Macas.

Abstract

The problem of the accumulation of organic solid waste Macas city, which does not receive adequate treatment, negatively affects the environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elaborate compost through a biological vermiculture process using the red California earthworm (Eisenia foetida). The methodology included the collection of organic solid waste (OSW) from the private market of Macas and its processing with different types of manure (bovine, guinea pig, equine and chicken manure). The compost parameters were analyzed by laboratory tests. The results showed that the pH of the compost ranged from 7.1 to 7.2, within the standard range of 6.5 to 7.5. It was observed that Treatment 3, with chicken manure, presented the highest concentration of nitrogen (N), while cattle manure presented higher values of phosphorus (P). The treatments also showed different concentrations of micronutrients such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). The C/N ratio, calculated using the Richard and Trautmann equation, was 27.64 for Treatment 0 and 32.52 for Treatment 1, both within the ideal range of 25 to 35. In conclusion, vermiculture proved to be an efficient method for the generation of essential nutrients in compost, with variations in compost quality depending on the materials used. It is recommended to constantly monitor pH, add wood ash, take advantage of residues from other sectors, control manures, explore technologies and perform periodic analyses to evaluate the efficacy of vermicompost.