Effect of Microbial Inocula on Mixed Solid Waste Composting, Vermicomposting and Plant Response

To accelerate the process of composting, different microflora viz. Pleurotus sajor-caju (fungus), Trichoderma harzianum (fungus) and Azotobacter chroococcum (bacteria) were inoculated in different combinations into mixed solid waste, a mixture of municipal solid waste (MSW) and horticultural waste in the ratio of 70:30. The waste was decomposed for different time periods and then subjected to subsequent vermicomposting for a fixed period of one month. The compost produced was evaluated for nutrient levels and effects on mung bean (Vigna radiata) growth. A significant difference was observed in the quality of compost produced with the bioinoculants over control treatments where no bioinoculant was used. The combination of P. sajor-caju, T. harzianum and A. chrocooccum produced the highest quality compost. The percentage of mycorrhizal infection in mung bean was influenced by the three inoculants and crop growth was enhanced significantly with the combination of P. sajor-caju, T. harzianum and A. chrocooccum over other treatments.