EVALUATION OF TOBACCO CONTAINED COMPOST MIXTURE FROM LOCALLY AVALLARLE ORGANIC MATERIALS IN MONERAGALA DISTRICT

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.