Composting of mixed leaf litter using Trichoderma harzianum

• Main Author: Carlos, Ian Christian G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1998
• Subjects: Compost; Organic fertilizer; Soil amendments; Fertilizers and manures; Leaves > Microbiology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1559
• Institution: De La Salle University

The effect of using Trichoderma harzianum as activator in the composting of different amounts of mixed leaf litter was determined. Mixed leaf litter was collected and placed in compost pens with area of 30 cm in length and width and depth of 20 cm in height. The quantity of leaf litters used were 0.5 kg, 1.0 kg and 1.5 kg. One group was inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum activator and the other without. During the composting process the temperature, pH, total carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were monitored every two weeks for a period of two months. The data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. The results showed that the temperature and pH remained relatively constant throughout the composting process. The % carbon decreased while % nitrogen and % phosphorus increased during the composting period. In general the compost piles has undergone the process of decomposition. However regardless of the amount of substrate, the effect of the Trichoderma harzianum activator did not affect the composting process. It was concluded that mixed leaf litter is not a suitable substrate alone for composting.