Comparing the Organic Carbon Fractions in Composts of Agricultural Wastes at Different Temperatures and Stages

This experiment aimed to look at active and passive soil organic carbon percentages during composting different agricultural wastes at different temperatures. It is essential to understand how various agricultural wastes composting oxidase the carbon (C) during decomposition at various temperatures. The highest C content in the crop residce was recorded in the gliricidia (42.1) and the lowest in the cotton stalk (36.2), while the highest temperature (41.35 °C) recorded during the decomposition in the (T4) 40% wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw (WS) + 40% cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) stalk (SCS) + gliricidia (Gliricidiasepium) leaf (GL) at 70 days and the lowest temperature (20.25 °C) in the T1 100% WS at 119 days. The experimental pits comprising six treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications. Treatments were as follows: (T1) 100% WS; (T2) 100% SCS; (T3) 50% WS + 50% SCS; (T4) 40% WS + 40% SCS + GL; (T5) 30% WS + 30% SCS + 20% GL + 20% sorghum (Sorghum bicolour) stubbles (SS); and (T6) 25% WS + 25% SCS + 25% GL + 25% SS. This study showed that with an increase in the decomposition period, the C pools significantly had higher levels of very labile content (18.64 g kg–1) and labile content (5.65 g kg–1). Less labile content (0.45 g kg–1) was recorded in T6, whereas the highest non-labile content (37.98%) was recorded in T1. These C pools reached their maximum concentrations at the last phase of T6 decomposition. This work therefore provides a roadmap for further research into the science of soil organic carbon fractions (active and passive) during composting at various temperatures. The experiment’s hypothesis may offer a guidance on strategies and techniques for appropriate decomposition methodology of agricultural waste, as well as the function of enriched materials. It will be useful for researchers, producers, and planners to know the organic C fractions in composts of agricultural wastes at different temperatures and stages.