Bioconversion of Shrimp Shell Waste into Compost Preparation and its Plant Growth Study

Abstract

Background: The fishing sector plays an important role in the global economy. The development of this sector is related to environmental issues, in particular to waste management. Indeed, the quantity of the halieutic waste are considered at several thousand tons of waste a year. Waste management is a solution to maintain an area with ecological harmony, but still can produce economic benefits that are beneficial to social welfare. Chitinases are enzymes that degrade chitin. Chitinase contribute to the generation of carbon and nitrogen in the ecosystem from shrimp shell wastes. Chitin and chitosan are naturally-occurring compounds that have potential to be used in agriculture. The present study was designed to prepare the shrimp shell waste compost (SSC) and also to analyse the enhancement growth of Ladies finger plant by using shrimp shell waste compost (SSC), shrimp shell waste compost (SSC) + cow dung (CD) and along with coir pith (CP). Methods: This experiment was conducted within the period of 2017-2018 in Department of Microbiology, Kamaraj College, Thoothukudi. 1 kg of dried shrimp shell waste powder was used for the compost preparation using chitinolytic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis SSCL10. The present study shrimp shell wastes were composted into manure with adding chitinolytic Bacillus licheniformis SSCL10. After 90 days of composting, the compost was dried at room temperature and used as manure for plant study. The growth study of ladies finger (Abelmoschus esculents L.) was analyzed in shrimp shell compost and also along with other composts (SSC + CD and SSC + CD+CP). Result: In our study, nitrogen, phosphorus and potash content were increased in the shrimp shell composts (SSC) with adding chitinase producing bacterium (Bacillus licheniformis SSCL10) when compared with control soil. The maximum plant growth performances were showed in the SSC+CD (cow dung) compared to combination of CP (coir pith), shrimp shell composts (SSC) alone and control. So shrimp shell compost is used as supplements for other compost to induce plant growth performances.