Biocomposting of Corncob and Coirpith and its Effect on Cropping Characters and Soil Fertility

Abstract

Agriculture is the largest employment provider and plays a vital role in overall socio-economic newlinedevelopment of India. In agro-ecosystem, the use of toxic synthetic fertilizer affects the water bodies, air, soil newlineecosystem, soil fertility and growth of cultivated crops. In the present investigation six different biocomposts newlinewere prepared by using corncob and coirpith agrowaste. The treatments were named as T1 compost 1 (Raw newlinecorncob composted by using Pleurotus sajor-caju (5 t/ha), T2 compost 2 (Predigested raw corncob + Eudrilus newlineeugeniae (5 t/ha), T3 compost 3 (Raw corncob predigested by using Pleurotus sajor-caju and Eudrilus newlineeugeniae (5 t/ha), T4 compost 4 (Raw coirpith composted by using Pleurotus sajor-caju (5 t/ha), T5 compost newline5 (Predigested raw coirpith + Eudrilus eugeniae (5 t/ha) and T6 compost 6 (Raw coirpith predigested by using newlinePleurotus sajor-caju and Eudrilus eugeniae (5 t/ha). The treatment T6 compost 6 (Raw coirpith predigested by newlineusing Pleurotus sajor-caju and Eudrilus eugeniae (5t /ha)) significantly enhanced the microbial population, newlinebiometric, yield and biochemical, leghaemoglobin content and physico-chemical parameters of pre and postharvest newlinesoil of the selected plants namely, Glycine max, Vigna aconitifolia, Solanum nigrum and Solanum newlinesurratense. For strengthening the above result, antibacterial antioxidant activity was conducted with aqueous newlineand methanol seed extracts of the selected plants grown under best treatment and control. The selected plant newlineseed samples were analyzed for antioxidant activity (Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, reducing power newlineassay, nitric oxide radical scavenging activity and DPPH radical scavenging activity) in the different extracts newline(Aqueous and methanol). By comparing the different extracts of the four plants, promising antioxidant activity newlinewas shown in methanolic seed extracts of Solanum surratense followed by Solanum nigrum in the best newlinetreatment as compared to control. Hence, the IC50 value for DPPH free radical scavenging assay was tested for newlinemethanol