Innovative Composting System Turns Agricultural Waste into Sustainable Biofertilizer

[frankerkanol]

The intensification of global agriculture has led to massive waste production, including an estimated 14 billion tons of crop straw and 125 million tons of livestock manure annually. Traditional composting methods often fall short due to poor breakdown of lignocellulose and the persistence of harmful pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), particularly when antibiotics like oxytetracycline are used in livestock. These challenges pose growing risks to agricultural safety and environmental health.

A research team from the Kunming Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a sustainable solution using microbial conversion technology. Their approach creates a closed-loop system that integrates crop straw, livestock manure, and spent mushroom substrate to recycle organic waste while enhancing crop productivity. The findings are detailed in Environmental Science & Technology.

Using Yunnan’s rich supply of agricultural organic matter and fungal resources, the researchers designed a novel Livestock-Crop-Mushroom (LCM) circular system. At the heart of this system is Stropharia rugosoannulata, a rare edible mushroom used as a key agent in transforming waste. The LCM process follows a clear path: co-composting straw and cow manure, cultivating mushrooms in the resulting mixture, and then reusing the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) to enrich compost.

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To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, the team compared traditional compost (made from straw and manure) with SMS-enhanced compost. The results revealed several major benefits of the LCM system.

Composting with SMS significantly improved microbial community structures by enriching beneficial microbes and saprophytic fungi. This shift not only suppressed plant pathogens but also promoted healthier plant growth through better root development and nutrient absorption.

Crucially, the SMS-based compost reduced levels of organic pollutants such as oxytetracycline, and decreased the presence of pathogens and ARGs in both soil and oat plants. These results show clear advantages over conventional composting techniques.

Using advanced tools such as metagenomic sequencing and endophytic microbial analysis, the study is the first to detail how LCM-derived biofertilizers influence microbial communities throughout the plant system—from the root zone to stems and seeds. This research offers a promising framework for sustainable agricultural practices, demonstrating how integrated organic waste recycling can reduce environmental risks while supporting healthy crop production.