Abstract:
Tobacco has become a highly profitable commercial crop in Sri Lanka recently.
Farmers in many parís of the country are now rapidly moving towards cultivating
tobaceo in their lands by replacing traditional food crops. During the processing of
dry tobaceo leaves large amount (nearly 0.6% of total yield) is wasted as dust. Thus
cultivating tobaceo in the long ron causes depletion of soil nutrition and increases the
soil erosion. Therefore it is suggested to apply compost fertilizer for tobaceo
cultivating lands, because compost can be applied to land as a fertilizer, soil
conditioner or as a mulch.
This study was focused on to evaluate the composition of tobaceo dust contained
compost prepared using locally available organic materials such as rice straw, cow
dung, Gliricidia leaves and kitchen waste. There were two different composting units
used namely as tobaceo dust contained composting unit and controlled composting
unit (without tobaceo dust) and three replicates firom each unit. Heap method was
selected to prepare compost and average temperature of the heaps was measured
daily. All units were turned at 3 day intervals and moisture content determination was
also carried out at the same time. Composting units were moisted if necessary. After 5
weeks of maturation period compost samples were subjected to Chemical analysis.
From the temperature variation of the heaps, there were no marked difference
between them and all heaps reached thermophilic conditions. According to the
statistical analysis, macronutrients showed a signineant difference between two
treatments. Organic carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphoros, Potassium, Sulphur, Calcium and
Magnesium in tobaceo dust contained compost samples were significantly higher than
controlled compost samples. There was no significant difference in micronutrients
between two treatments except Boron.
From the. findings of this study it can be concluded that tobaceo dust contained
compost produced using locally available organic materials, is nutrient rich, pathogen
free organic manure and it can be used as an environmental friendly organic fertilizer
for the tobaceo cultivation with a minimum input.
