EFFECTIVE MICROBES AND EFFECTIVE CORN WASTE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Burning of corn waste/litter in Uganda is a common task among farmers due to unemployment and the shorter duration of the next harvest. Farmers view incineration as the best way to deal with maize waste, forgetting that it leads to environmental pollution, reduces soil fertility and can be detrimental to the health of farmers and people living around. Landfills are a better way to control waste, but not the best. Composting waste pipes can be a good alternative to reduce the problem. Decomposing corn litter on farms and in landfills is useful in waste management, but it takes longer, in some cases 90 days or more. This experiment was conducted with the aim of using effective microbes (EM) to reduce the decomposition time of corn litter. Effective sprouts are consortia-derived types of microorganisms that play an important role in composting waste in the short term. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of effective microbes isolated from various wastes in decomposing corn wastes and found that those isolated from fruit wastes using laboratory methods are more effective in composting the wastes during 40 days. Residues are effectively broken down with the overall smoothness of their texture, water production (in some cases) and reduction in the amount of residue. The carbon dioxide released during decomposition is also monitored. Compost made from decomposing corn litter was used to plant okra (Abeimoschus esculentus) and green (Amaranthus). Plants grown on this compost grow well with beautiful leaves. Therefore, corn residue management using effective sprouts should be done and encouraged to improve crop yield, which in turn will solve the problem of poor residue management not only in the agricultural sector of the country.