Transformation of toxic and allelopathic lantana into a benign organic fertilizer through vermicomposting

•The paper identifies the factors which eliminate lantana's toxicity during vermicomposting.•It is shown that strong molecular rearrangements occur during vermicomposting.•The chemicals responsible for the toxicity of lantana are degraded.•FTIR, UV–vis, DTA-TGA and SEM provide corroborative evidence.•Lantana is shown to be transformed into a good organic fertilizer.

In a first study of its kind, the composition of vermicompost derived solely from the toxic and allelopathic weed lantana has been investigated using UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gas chromatography–mass spectometry (GC–MS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studies reveal that a sharp reduction in humification index, substantial mineralization of organic matter and degradation of complex aromatics such as lignin and polyphenols into simpler carbohydrates and lipids occur in the course of vermicomposting. GC–MS analysis shows significant fragmentation, bio-oxidation and molecular rearrangements of chemical compounds in vermicompost in comparison to those in lantana. SEM micrographs of vermicompost reflect strong disaggregation of material compared to the much better formed lantana matrices. The phenols and sesquiterpene lactones which are specifically responsible for the toxicity and allelopathy of lantana are seen to get significantly degraded in the course of vermicomposting — turning it into a plant-friendly organic fertilizer. The study leads to the possibility that the millions of tons of phytomass that is generated annually by lantana can be gainfully utilized in producing organic fertilizer via vermicomposting.

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