Comparison of bacterial succession in green waste composts amended with inorganic fertiliser and wastewater treatment plant sludge

• CAN and DWS amended composts produced products capable of supporting plant growth.
• Proteobacteria dominated both composts.
• Bacterial diversity was higher in compost amended with dairy waste sludge.

Replacing CAN with DWS resulted in a stable product capable of supporting similar levels of plant growth to conventional compost. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum detected in both CAN- and DWS-amended composts with Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi present also. Proteobacteria in both composts negatively correlated with pH, NO3 concentration and temperature, but were positively influenced by NH4 levels. Sphaerobacter was the most abundant genus in the mature phase of both CAN- and DWS-amended composts but bacterial community structure in mature DWS-amended compost appeared more diverse than that present in mature compost made using CAN.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide