Abstract:
The study was aimed to investigate the effects of inoculation and/or aeration on composting of water hyacinth. Water hyacinth was collected by combiled harvester from Sampathoun station, Nakornchaisir river, Nakhon Pathom province. The substrate was mechanically chopped into small pieces, and a portion of 100 kg was added into a composting bioreactor. The fungal inoculum was preoared as spore suspension of the themophilic cellulose degarding fungus,Aspergillus sp.SK5., which was isolated from straw-compositing pile. The inoculum density used in this study was 1x10^8 spores per kg of substrate. Simultaneously, continous aeration process was conducted at 3 levels of air flow (7.2, 14.4 and 21.6 L/min) by the injection of air through perforated pipes connected to the bioreactor. At various time intervals, samples was taken for the analysis of microbial growth, chemecal compositions of substrate, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and moisture contents. Addording to the resule, addition of fungal inoculum cause more reduction of cabon content and C/n ratio of the compost. However, the time used in consuming the overall composing process could not be reduced niether by fungal unoculation nor by aeration. Composting of water hyacinth under conditions used in this study can be accomplished with in 28 days.