BENCH-SCALE COMPOSTING OF 2 AGRICULTURAL WASTES

The compositing of wheat straw and corn stalk was carried out in bench-scale reactors at preset constant temperatures, 35-degrees-C and 45-degrees-C. Measurement of the CO2 released and the NDF content, and determinations of cellulase and laccase activities were performed during short-time incubation (20 days). The data showed that the biodegradability of the lignocellulosic materials was very similar (except when corn stalk was composted at 45-degrees-C) and the composting resulted in a high metabolization into CO2. Cellulase and laccase measurements revealed some differences in the microbial activities at 35-degrees-C and 45-degrees-C. Laccase seemed to be involved in the degradation process only at 35-degrees-C, while cellulase was also implicated at 45-degrees-C.