RESEARCH REPORTS FROM INSTITUTE FOR AGRO-MICROBIOLOGY, Vol. 11, 2007 p.37-52
Copyright © Institute for Agro-Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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3.Interaction between Compost Maturity and Microbial Community Structure in Cattle Manure Compost Manufactured in a Large-scale Compost Plant with a Force-aerating and Auto-blending Fermentation System
Kotaro Kato, Kazuhiro Kikegawa（ Institute for Agro-Microbiology）
Physicochemical and biological parameters and microbial community were investigated in cattle manure compost that was manufactured in a large-scale compost plant with a force-aerating and auto-blending fermentation system and a piling method. The microbial community was investigated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. This compost plant produces good quality compost by two-step fermentation processes. The microbial biomass reached maximum value at day 5 from composting and then decreased gradually. The microbial diversity decreased up to day 10, then increased rapidly and reached a plateau after day 20 from composting. Relative changes in gram-positive bacteria and some bacteria related to anaerobic condition were remarkably large during the first fermentation with the force-aerating and auto-blending system and the second fermentation with the piling method, respectively. There was a highly positive correlation between the proportion of biomarker fatty acids for gram-positive bacteria and the value of germination index, suggesting that PLFA analysis was used as a tool for evaluating the maturity of the cattle manure compost that was produced in this large-scale compost plant with the force-aerating and auto-blending fermentation system.
Keywords: compost plant，hospholipid fatty acid (PLFA)，microbial community，maturity，germination index