The Production of Organic Fertilizer from Empty Fruit Bunch Combined with Manure of Suratthani Province

Abstract

Oil palm is a major economic crop in the southern region, with a cultivation area up to than 1.16 million rai. The open burning of oil palm residues contributes to air pollution and global warming. Producing organic fertilizer offers an environmentally friendly alternative for managing waste from the palm oil production process. In addition, other agricultural residues, such as a ratio of spent mushroom substrate, duck manure, and chicken manure, can also be utilized to increase their economic value. The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments, each consisting of three replicates. Treatment 1 (T1) consisted of spent mushroom substrate and duck manure (1:1). Treatment 2 (T2) consisted of spent mushroom substrate and chicken manure (1:1). Treatment 3 (T3) consisted of spent mushroom substrate, oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB), and duck manure (1:1:1). Treatment 4 (T4) consisted of spent mushroom substrate, oil palm empty fruit bunches, and chicken manure (1:1:1). The objective of this study was to produce and analyze the properties of organic fertilizer derived from agricultural residues in Surat Thani Province, Thailand. The results showed that during the 90-day composting period, the temperature of all treatments (T1 to T4) ranged between 30 to 31 °C, the pH ranged from 6.6 to 7.13, and the EC (Electrical Conductivity) ranged from 0.11 to 2.13 dS/m. The highest levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and total organic carbon (TOC) were observed in treatment T3, with values of 0.29 ± 0.01%, 0.59 ± 0.08%, and 4.80 ± 0.04%, respectively. All treatments met the requirements of the Grade 2 organic fertilizer standard specified by the Fertilizer Act (2007) and its amendment under the Fertilizer Act (1975). Considering the mean values of pH, EC, N, K, and Ca, treatment T4 showed average values of 7.53 ± 0.15, 2.63 ± 0.06 dS/m, 5.66 ± 0.12%, 0.59 ± 0.08%, and 1.22 ± 0.02%, respectively. For plant growth, treatment T4 produced the best growth performance of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis), with plant height, canopy width, leaf length, leaf width, and number of leaves recorded as 9.25 ± 1.06 cm, 18.50 ± 2.14 cm, 12.25 ± 1.00 cm, 4.75 ± 0.35 cm, and 8.50 ± 0.75 leaves, respectively. The increased levels of phosphorus and organic matter in the soil indicated an efficiency of soil fertility and plant growth. However, there was no statistically significant difference among treatments (P>.05).