Production of compost from marine waste: evaluation of the product for use in ecological agriculture
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Production of compost from marine waste: evaluation of the product for use in ecological agriculture M. Illera-Vives & S. Seoane Labandeira & M. E. López-Mosquera
Received: 16 October 2012 / Revised and accepted: 22 January 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Abstract The sea contains large amounts of resources that are sometimes considered as waste. Such material includes the waste generated by the fish-processing industry and seaweed that is washed up on shores. In this study, these waste products were windrow composted, along with pine bark as a source of carbon and aeration. The final mix proportions were 20 % seaweed, 20 % fish waste, and 60 % pine bark (v/v). After 10 weeks, stable, well-structured, hygienic compost, which was rich in organic matter and nutrients and had a low metal content, was obtained. Tests for maturity, hygiene, and phytotoxicity, along with a detailed physical and chemical characterization, showed that this compost can be used as an organic amendment and/or growth substrate for use in ecological agriculture. The only limiting feature was the high salinity, which could easily be lowered prior to composting the material. Keywords Drift seaweed . Fishing waste . Pine bark . Ecological organic amendment . Ecological substrate
Introduction The sea contains large amounts of resources, including the seaweed that is washed up by tides and winds onto shores. M. Illera-Vives (*) : M. E. López-Mosquera Instituto de Biodiversidad Agraria y Desarrollo Rural (IBADER), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain e-mail: [email protected] S. Seoane Labandeira Dpto. de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Such drift seaweed has been used for centuries as a natural fertilizer in many coastal areas throughout the world (Zemke-White and Ohno 1999). Seaweed is particularly rich in potassium, micronutrients, growth activators, and also alginates, which can improve the soil structure (Blunden 1991). Seaweed is used for numerous purposes, and as it also forms the base of the food chain, it must be used sustainably. However, in some cases, seaweed is considered as waste, particularly in areas where green tides appear as a result of eutrophication. Green tides damage the touristic appeal of beaches and cause problems in shellfish-growing areas and in aquaculture (Morand and Briand 1996). Fish waste has also traditionally been used as a fertilizer in coastal areas, as it is rich in nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous (Arvanitoyannis and Kassaveti 2008). Different types of fertilizers are made from fish meal, which has been authorized for use in agriculture, including ecological agriculture (EC Council 834/2007 2007). The European Union (EU) is the world’s fourth largest fish producer, and within Europe, Spain is the leading fish producer (capture fisheries and aquaculture produce 1,020,908 t year−1 fresh weight, representing 15.84 % of the total production in the EU-27) (Unión Europea 20
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