The CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here has developed a microbial consortium, named ‘Jaivam,’ for facilitating a clean and speedy composting process and producing good quality compost for agricultural use.
Jaivam was developed by a team of researchers led by Krishnakumar B. at the Environmental Technology Division of the NIIST. The development of Jaivam and similar R&D initiatives by CSIR-NIIST will help address challenges such as greenhouse gas emission (methane and nitrous oxide) from bulk composting facilities and improve the compost quality through bio-augmentation, NIIST director C. Anandharamakrishnan said.
MoU signed
CSIR-NIIST has signed an MoU with Agso Agrosoldier Pvt. Ltd. for the non-exclusive licensing for the production and use of Jaivam, a statement said. Jaivam is suited for both decentralised waste treatment units such as household composting bins and bulk handling systems such as organic waste converters (OWC) and centralised facilities like windrow composting.
Aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion are two of the options often suggested for treating organic waste. Local bodies lacking common organic waste treatment facilities recommend methods such as household-level aerobic composting units which use microbial cultures called ‘inoculum.’
Composting time down
However, ensuring the availability and quality of inocula poses a challenge. Compared to inocula currently available in the market, Jaivam offers several advantages as it utilises bacteria with proven hydrolytic enzyme activities for different organic wastes, the statement said.
Field trials of Jaivam have shown encouraging results, reducing composting time to 15-20 days for municipal organic wastes, wastes from chicken and pig rendering units and wastes from hotels and restaurants with high oil and fat, it said.
Published – November 21, 2024 06:09 pm IST