Nutrient recovery from pineapple waste through controlled batch and continuous vermicomposting systems

This study evaluated the variation in physico-chemical parameters in batch and continuous vermicomposting systems as potential pathways for nutrient recovery from pineapple waste. The research compared the efficiency of waste reduction and nutrient recovery for batch and continuous vermicomposting systems over a 60-day period, using pineapple peels and cattle manure in a 4:1 ratio. Results showed waste degradation of 60% and 54% with earthworm biomass increases of 57% and 129% for batch and continuous systems respectively. The study found that continuous systems produced higher earthworm biomass and retained more nutrients in vermicompost than batch systems, making them better for pineapple waste vermicomposting.