Importance Of Waste Biomass From Household, Agricultural And Industrial Waste For A Sustainable Farming System

Abstract

It is not over-stating the case to say that sustainable development has found its true meaning in ecology, and its starting point could only be Earth itself which gives birth to life, supports development, and carefully preserves the achievements in the evolution of life, both animate and inanimate. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable ecology, our attention should be focused on soil recovery. Healing of nature and soil recovery are related to waste bio-mass, the secrets and full potential of which are yet to be discovered.

By assuming that ‘nature has survived by composting its own waste’, we have related two technologies for bio-mass processing into organic compost, one for solid household waste and the other for agricultural waste . It is to be noted, however, that composting must become a state policy in order successfully to promote eco-farming to produce ecologically clean food and fibre.

The process of composting is controlled by three parameters: pH, moisture and temperature Hourly electronic monitoring ofthese parameters ensures continuous control over the various strains of aerobic microflora, and this shortens the production cycle to 5 days compared with the existing worldwide practice of 10–30 days. This leads to greater production efficiency of more than 20 percent by reducing the overall operating costs of the mechanical composting system. Also, the proposed technological process preserves the organic components of the final product to a maximum.

Organic compost is a rich soil nutrient, containing as it does large quantities of organic matter . It is rich in enzymes, biogenic chemical elements, micro-elements and various microflora that help the process of humus formation in the soil, thus making it more fertile. Organic compost is the only material capable of neutralising the toxic substances remaining in the soil from the usage of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. It also helps prevent the penetration of heavy metals into underground waters that pollute countless hectares offertile land.

Organic compost with different pH values otTers the possibility of conducting successful experiments on the re-cultivation of soils polluted by toxic heavy metal emissions in the vicinity of mines and ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical plants, and land polluted by cement and oil production wastes and by construction debris . Recultivation was carried out following a predetermined process schedule based on the preliminary analysis of the polluted soils under investigation and the specific characteristics of the organic compost used. The results give us grounds to hope that only the natural fertilisers will heal nature and help it to survive.