A Field Trial Using Modified Alumina Refinery Residue to Beneficiate Composting at a Dairy Farm in Saudi Arabia

A Field Trial Using Modified Alumina Refinery Residue to Beneficiate Composting at a Dairy Farm in Saudi Arabia

Evidence suggests that alumina refinery residue, a byproduct of extracting alumina from bauxite, has properties which are beneficial to agriculture in general and to composting in particular. These contributions include increased moisture retention properties of soil and improved crop production. However, little evidence is available to confirm this claim in relation to Saudi Arabia or other Gulf States. This study therefore sought to investigate whether the addition of this type of residue to different dairy farm waste streams prior to composting had a beneficial effect on temperature and time to maturity of compost. Pure manure, manure plus bedding sand, leftover feed, and sludge from an on-site settling basin at a dairy farm in Al-Hofuf, Saudi Arabia were chosen as the four primary sources of organic matter for this large-scale field trial conducted during the autumn months of October to December. Results indicate that the addition of alumina refinery residue had no significant impact on the composting process, although minor benefits consistent with other research findings that could be attributed to the residue were observed. In this trial, differing beneficial results were more dependent on whether the compost was turned on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and some standard measures were effected as a result of the trial. Both six- and 12-week stability and maturity data are presented.