Nutrient Compositions and Release of Shallot Waste, Goat Dung and Bone Meal

Abstract

In Thailand, there a big waste of shallot, goat dung and bone meal in each year. This study was conducted to use these materials to increase of organic matter and plant nutrients. Two experiments were carrie out. The first experiment was designed to study the nutrient compositions from shallot waste, goat dung and bone meal by analyzing plant nutrients. The second experiment was designed to study nutrients release of shallot waste, goat dung and bone meal incubated with soil. This experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments: incubated soil, incubated soil with shallot waste, incubated soil with goat dung, incubated soil with bone meal and incubated soil with all materials. Ten grams of soil and 0.5 g of each material were mixed and incubated. The experiment was replicated 3 times. The results showed that shallot waste contained 1.28 and 4.70% of total nitrogen and potassium, respectively, and nitrogen was released slowly after 15 days of incubation, while potassium was released immediately. Goat dung contained 1.94% of total nitrogen and gave highest release. Furthermore, there were 2.58 and 0.64% of total potassium (K2O) and magnesium, respectively, which were released immediately. Bone meal contained 1.29, 34.51 and 33.69% of total nitrogen, phosphorus (P2O5) and calcium, respectively. Available phosphorus (P2O5) in bone meal was approximately 50% of total P2O5 and released slowly. In addition, all materials, contained iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. Therefore, shallot waste, goat dung and bone meal may prove to be a good sources of macronutrients, micronutrients and organic matter. As such, their use may be recommended in the making of compost.