Management of local organic resources, as an agroecological strategy for the development of fertilizers, in cloud forests of the coastal mountain range-Venezuela

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the most appropriate combination of locally generated waste to produce quality fertilizer. The residues for the composting process were previously chemically characterized and then mixed to obtain a stable organic. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three piles per type of compost, C1: 75 kg of crop residues (potato, onion, parsley, carrot + Zea mays leaves) + 87 kg of sheep manure; C2: 85 kg of crop residues (potato + onion + parsley + carrot) + 87 kg of sheep manure + 15 kg of Thitonia diversifolia; C3: 85 kg of green wastes with predominance of Lactuca sativa + 80 kg of goat manure; C4: 90 kg of green wastes with predominance of Lactuca sativa + 80 kg of horse manure; C5: 80 kg of green pruning leaves + dried leaves + sawdust + excreta of chickens + Thitonia diversifolia + 75 kg of sheep manure. Each stack measured 1.5 m wide by 1.7 m high. Macronutrients and pH and were evaluated in mature compost, as were bacterial and total fungal populations, for establishing significant correlations with some measured chemical variables. Maturation rates of compost shown that the use of Thitonia diversifolia and sheep excreta improved the nutritional conditions of the stabilized organic fertilizer, obtaining 2.09% total N, 0.12% P available, 2.08% K+ . In all compost where animal excreta were used, a significant increase in Ca2+ availability was observed, as well as a greater microbial activity presence.