Recycling organic wastes such as sugar cane bagasse and Nile water
hyacinth 'was carried out at Nuclear Research Center in 1996 and 1997. Bagasse and
water hyacinth were composted by windrow composting techniques, screened and
piled out doors (cured) fGlr 5 IITl compost on tomato and. cucumber transplant production was investigated compared
.with the conventional peat mix at Protected Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki,
Cairo. Irradiated bagasse compost ( IBC ) and irradiated hyacinth compost ( IHC ) were obtained by exposing. bagasse compost (BC)and hyacinth compost ( HC) to
gamma irradiation at 6 Kgy. Except for media containing 75 % vermiculite or 75 %
composted water hyacinth, plant growth was equal to conventional peat mix. Tomato
and cucumber transplants had no toxic levels of Cd, Pb, Ni and contained adequate
N, P, K, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn as compared to plants grown in the check medium.
Irradition is 'a recognized method to eliminate pathogens in composted materials. No
significant response was recorded among the irradiated agricultural media concerning
the transplant growth, nutrients and heavy metals. It was concluded that many types
of organic plant residues (such as bagasse or hyacinth), cornpostec by windrow
composting methods, can be used as a peat substitute in a conventional peat-
vermiculite potting media.