The effect of composting process on pesticide removal in organic agriculture at different operating conditions and applications

In this thesis study, composting of biochar (BK) produced by pyrolysis of pomegranate peel, which is waste from fruit juice processing, at 400ºC and modified biochars modified with amino acid (AA), humic acid (HA), nitric acid (HNO3) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). effects on the process were studied. The effects of different biochar applications on composting parameters (temperature, CO2, moisture content, organic matter content, C, N, ammonium, nitrate and total nitrogen) and NO2 and NH3-N emissions and N losses were investigated. In the study, cattle manure (SG), chicken manure (TG), straw (S) and biochars were used as compost raw materials. Applications in the study; compost (Control), biochar (Control biochar) (BK), amino acid modified biochar (AA-BK), humic acid modified biochar (HA-BK), nitric acid modified biochar (HNO-BK), and potassium hydroxide modified biochar (KOH)-BK) are named as applied compost mixes. The effects of each application were determined by a study lasting 33.27 days in two 100 l stainless steel reactors. All reactors reached a temperature of 70 ºC. The AA-BK application remained at 70 ºC for 10 hours and the KOH-BK application for 25 hours, fulfilling the sanitation requirement. According to the N2O results, N2O releases increased in all mixtures in the first days of the composting process and during the ripening phase. The starting and ending C/N ratios of the compost mixtures were determined in the range of 23-25 and 14-18, respectively. The least ammonia release occurred in the KOH-BK application and it lost 5% less nitrogen than the control compost group. According to nitrate results, the most nitrification was realized in KOH-BK application. According to the analysis results, the KOH-BK application contains 4 times more NO3-N than the Control application.