Abstract

Fertilizer play a vital role in agriculture and has a positive impact on both human and animal lives, though due to economic and environmental challenge there is need for a less harmful biofertilizer for healthy agricultural produce. The research took into cognizance solid waste management of Banana peel, Orange peel, Paper, Pineapple peel, Watermelon peel and mixture of all the aforementioned compost samples as A, B, C, D, E and F respectively in the ratio 5:1 g/worm for each compost by converting them to biofertilizers. Vermicomposting method was used for the process whereby Eudriluseugeniae (African worms) fed from the waste and excretes them as vermicast. Physical and chemical parameters were analyzed during the period of 4 weeks of composting which indicated the role of these species in vermicomposting). From the results obtained the pH increased, from 4.0 in the first week to 8.0 in fourth week. The F gave the best result of 17.21% N, 10.24% P, 48.32% K and C/N ratio of 29 in comparison with the controls, A, B, C, D and E with 1.14, 2.7, 1.63, 0.31 and 0.54 %N, 2.46, 1.8, 0.57, 4.14 and 1.26% P, 31.23, 5.7, 1.25, 0.68, 4.69% K and C/N ratios of 22, 9, 138, 12 and 23, respectively. Further comparison with commercial biofertilizer indicates that the biofertilizer produced via this technique can readily stand out as a commercial fertilizer pending on soil requirements and will be a safer substitute for harmful chemical fertilizers.