Compost and Crude Humic Substances Produced from Selected Wastes and Their Effects on Zea mays L. Nutrient Uptake and Growth

Table 3

Chemical properties of different composts at initial and final stages of composting.

Property

Rice straw

Percentage difference

Rice husk

Percentage difference

Sawdust

Percentage difference

EFB

Percentage difference

Initial

End

Initial

End

Initial

End

Initial

End

pHwater

7.07

7.58^c (±0.10)

+7.21

7.33

7.98^b (±0.05)

+8.87

7.69

7.64^c (±0.04)

−0.65

8.07

9.20^a (±0.07)

+14.00

pHKCl

7.08

7.14^bc (±0.09)

+0.85

6.83

7.35^b (±0.07)

+7.61

6.80

6.96^c (±0.02)

+2.35

8.33

8.75^a (±0.06)

+5.04

Ash (%)

16.67

26.00^a (±0.58)

+55.97

20.33

26.33^a (±0.33)

+29.51

5.67

9.33^c (±0.67)

+64.55

11.00

15.33^b (±1.45)

+39.36

Organic matter (%)

83.33

74.00^c (±0.58)

−11.20

79.67

73.67^c (±0.33)

−7.53

94.33

90.67^a (±0.67)

−3.88

89.00

84.67^b (±1.45)

−4.87

Total organic carbon (%)

48.33

42.92^c (±0.33)

−53.11

46.21

42.73^c (±0.19)

−7.53

54.71

52.59^a (±0.39)

−3.87

51.62

49.11^b (±0.84)

−4.86

Nitrogen (%)

1.06

1.85^a (±0.07)

+74.53

1.14

1.21^b (±0.02)

+6.14

0.72

0.98^c (±0.02)

+36.11

0.66

1.01^c (±0.04)

+53.03

Phosphorus (%)

0.47

0.75^a (±0.01)

+59.57

0.40

0.59^b (±0.00)

+47.5

0.19

0.37^c (±0.02)

+94.74

0.22

0.53^b (±0.02)

+140.91

C/N ratio

46.19

23.27^c (±0.86)

−49.62

40.98

35.22^b (±0.71)

−14.06

77.55

53.65^a (±0.89)

−30.82

79.79

48.85^a (±2.00)

−38.78

C/P ratio

104.87

57.02^c (±0.96)

−47.63

115.83

72.27^bc (±0.32)

−37.61

287.04

144.80^a (±9.75)

−49.55

234.44

93.41^b (±3.54)

−60.17

CEC (cmol kg^−1)

48.87

93.60^a (±3.10)

+91.53

45.80

54.07^c (±2.07)

+18.06

39.33

76.20^b (±0.40)

+93.75

42.13

54.47^c (±1.01)

+29.29

Humic acid (%)

4.17

10.97^a (±1.73)

+163.07

2.60

3.13^b (±0.09)

+20.38

4.20

4.23^b (±0.03)

+0.71

3.17

3.27^b (±0.03)

+3.15

Different alphabets within a row indicate significant difference between means of compost at the end of composting using Tukey’s test at 𝑃≤0.05.
Positive and negative symbols at the beginning of the number represent the decrease and increase in each items.
( ) values in parenthesis represent standard error of the mean.