Comparison of microbially enhanced compost extracts produced from composted cattle rumen content material and from commercially available inocula

Karuna Shrestha, Eric Adetutu, Pramod Shrestha, Kerry Walsh, Keith Harrower, Andrew Ball, David Midmore

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A comparative study was performed on compost extracts prepared from cattle rumen content composted for three and nine months, nine month old compost inoculated with a Nutri-Life 4/20™ inoculum, and two commercial preparations (LivingSoil™ and Nutri-Life 4/20™), all incubated for 48h. Nutri-Life 4/20™ had the highest concentrations of NO3--N and K +-K, while rumen compost extract had higher humic and fulvic acids concentration. The bacterial and fungal community level functional diversity of three month old compost extract and of LivingSoil™, assessed with Biolog™, were higher than that of nine month old rumen compost extract, with or without Nutri-Life 4/20™ inoculum, or Nutri-Life 4/20™. No difference in fungal diversity was observed between treatments, as indicated by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, however, bacterial diversity was higher in all compost extracts and LivingSoil™ compared to the Nutri-Life 4/20™. Criteria for judging the quality of a microbially enhanced extract are discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)7994-8002
    Number of pages9
    JournalBioresource Technology
    Volume102
    Issue number17
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011

    Keywords

    • Biolog™
    • Commercial inoculum
    • Compost extract
    • PCR-DGGE
    • Rumen compost

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