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Reasonable water replenishment strategies can improve the fermentation efficiency and bacterial community of sheep manure composting on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

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Abstract

The dry climate of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau causes the rapid loss of moisture in composting piles, which affects dynamics of the composting process and the maturity of the compost product. In this study, regular water replenishment was used to solve the problem of rapid water loss during composting on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Multiple combinations of initial water content (60% and 70%) and water replenishment frequency (no water supplementation, water supplementation every 7 days, and supplementation every 3.5 days) were set to determine a reasonable water replenishment strategy to promote compost maturity on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The changes in the bacterial diversity and community structure of the compost were also studied. The results indicated that regular water supplementation during composting can adjust the physicochemical environment of compost, increase bacterial richness and diversity, improve bacterial community structure, and significantly promote compost maturity. A moisture content of 60% can promote fermentation, increase the maximum temperature of the composting pile, and increase the abundance of thermophilic bacteria, such as Firmicutes and Planifilum, better than an initial moisture content of 70%. Among all water replenishment treatments, an initial moisture content of 60% and water supplementation every 3.5 days was the best combination.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Major Science and Technology Project of Qinghai Province (Grant number 2018-NK-A2). The authors are grateful for the support of Bakatai Farms in Qinghai Province.

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  1. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, No. 17 Qinghua Donglu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China

    Rui Cai, Shuai Zhang, Xinyu Cui & Chuncheng Xu

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Cai, R., Zhang, S., Cui, X. et al. Reasonable water replenishment strategies can improve the fermentation efficiency and bacterial community of sheep manure composting on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 25, 1204–1215 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-022-01575-7

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