Browsing by Author "Akumah, A.M."
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Characterizing market crop waste as feedstock for composting to reduce environmental pollution in developing countries(Islamic Azad University, 2023) Nartey, E.K.; Akumah, A.M.; Ofosu-Budu, G.K.; et al.Abstract Purpose Market crop waste (MCW) contributes significantly to the quantity of municipal solid waste generated in sub-Saharan Africa. These wastes, however, contain high levels of plant nutrients which can be harnessed through composting to improve soil organic matter and nutrient status of impoverished tropical soils. Method In this work, annual MCWs from two urban markets in Accra, Ghana were characterized by quantifying their seasonal availabilities, primary nutrients, heavy metals concentrations and level of microbial contamination to ascertain their suitability or otherwise for composting. Results Waste generated in the rainy seasons was higher than in the dry seasons. Primary nutrients sequestered in the MCW collected were 211.1 kg N, 1.84 kg P and 89.66 kg K for both markets. Feedstock quality analysis showed heavy metal levels in the MCW were far below the contaminant levels. Moisture content of vegetable and fruit waste was 74.34 - 90.46% and far above the desired level of aerobic composting. Pathogen levels of 5.92 CFU/g E. coli and 5.41 CFU/g Salmonella in cocoyam leaves; 6.27 CFU/g total coliform and 4.74 CFU/g Enterococcus in cabbage were detected and found to be above the maximum contaminant level as per USEPA standard. Conclusion Use of cassava, plantain peduncle and corn husk as bulking agents with vegetable and fruit waste as N, P and K sources should serve as feedstock for good quality compost production.Item Poultry litter and cow dung biochar as P sources for cowpea cultivation in two Ghanaian soils(Frontiers in Agronomy, 2023) Nartey, E.K.; Sulemana, N.; Razak, A.; Adjadeh, T.A.; Akumah, A.M.; Amoatey, C.; Abekoe, M.K.Introduction: The main constraint to cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, production in West Africa is unavailability of applied phosphorus due to ligand exchange with clay minerals and precipitation reactions facilitated by low pH and low organic matter. Materials and methods: To overcome this challenge, cow dung biochar (CB) and poultry litter biochar (PB) were applied as P sources for cowpea cultivation in Plinthustult and Kandiustalf soil in Ghana. The biochar types and triple super phosphate (TSP) were applied to meet the standard phosphorus requirement (SPR) and ½ SPR of the soils. Basal K from KCl was added to the TSP treatment. In addition to a non-amended soil, the treatments were triplicated and arranged in a completely randomized design in a screen house for an efficacy trial using cowpea as the test crop. Moisture content was maintained at 80% field capacity. Results and discussion: Hundred cowpea seed weight was 20.3 g and 19.6 g for the TSP-amended Plinthustult at SPR and ½ SPR, respectively. This increased to 25.1 g and approximately 27 g at SPR and ½ SPR in the CB- and PB-amended Plinthustult, respectively. Hundred seed weight for TSP at both rates was similar in the two soils. The PB-amended Kandiustalf at SPR had seed with a weight of 27.02 g, 1.1 g heavier than the ½ SPR. The CB-amended Kandiustalf at both rates had 100 seeds weighing 25 g. Residual available P was 334.2 mg/kg and 213.2 mg/kg at SPR and ½ SPR, respectively, in the Plinthustult as opposed to a paltry 2.5 mg/kg at SPR in the TSP counterpart. The study recommends for the two biochar types to be applied at ½ SPR.