EVALUATION OF THE C/N RATIO AND QUALITY OF COMPOST PRODUCED IN COMPOSTING PILES OF CARCASSES AND DIFFERENT BEDDINGS FROM BROILER PRODUCTION FACILITIES

Abstract

The objective of this work to assess the concentrations of organic carbon and total nitrogen and quality of compost produced in composting piles of carcasses and different beddings from broiler production facilities. The organic material was composted in static piles with forced positive aeration (FPA) with the following treatments: FPA 01 - pile containing sugarcane bagasse, poultry litter and ground chicken carcasses and FPA02 - coffee husks, poultry litter and ground chicken. According to the results obtained, it may be concluded that during the entire composting period, the values of COo of the material contained in the pile composed of ground chicken carcasses and coffee husks were greater than those obtained in the compost pile consisting of ground chicken carcass and sugarcane bagasse; there were significant losses of N in both the material collected in the compost pile containing sugarcane bagasse (65%) as well as in the material of the pile containing coffee husks (68%). However, during the composting process, the N loss was greater in the pile composed of sugarcane bagasse than in that with coffee husks; all variables analyzed met the standards established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) of Brazil, for commercialization of the material as organic compost.