Use of Lignocellulolytic Microbial Consortium and pH Amendment on Composting Efficacy of Rice Straw

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted at the Composting Unit, Universiti Putra Malaysia to determine the physico-chemical changes, microbial dynamics, and enzyme activities during microbial composting of rice straw at different pH conditions. Different treatments comprising of composting substrates (A), substrates with microbial consortium (B), substrates, microbial consortium, and acetic acid (C), substrates, microbial consortium, and sodium hydroxide (D) were used to enhance the composting process of rice straw. In inoculated treatments, the temperature increased rapidly to higher than 50°C by day 5 and remained above 40°C up to day 17, while in the control the temperature increased slowly and peaked (46°C) at day 9 and remained above 40°C until day 23. The results showed that biodegradation was at its…