Assessing the potential for producing compost pellets with binders from cassava industry by-products and supplemented with Trichoderma

Agricultural waste recycling enhances soil health and crop productivity sustainably. Composting, which reclaims waste, combined with Trichoderma -supplemented pelleting technologies improve usability and biocontrol for plant disease suppression. The objective of this study was to develop cow manure compost pellets enriched with T. hamatum and biochar using cassava byproduct binders (peel, tuber, and starch), and compare them with binder-free pellets. After composting, these mixtures were pelletized using a flat-die pellet mill and evaluated for their physical properties, plant growth promotion, and biocontrol potential. Composting produces nutrient-rich and non-phytotoxic materials suitable for pelleting. The addition of binders improved production efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced pellet properties such as size, density, durability, and wettability. Among the binders, tubers achieved the highest pellet density (1298.04 kg m −3 ), whereas cassava starch resulted in the best formation (95.40 %) and durability (95.88 %). Mixing biochar helped to maintain pellet porosity, which facilitated solubility and nutrient release upon application. T. hamatum germination from pellets inhibited Sclerotium rolfsii growth by 62.5 % in vitro. Pellet application reduced S. rolfsii -induced disease severity by 77.4 %, enhanced plant growth and biomass, and increased soil nitrogen (32.2 %), phosphorus (38.9 %), and potassium (38.9 %) content in pot trials. These findings highlight the role of Trichoderma and biochar in compost pellets as sustainable bio-fungicides and soil enhancers. This study provides a foundation for optimizing compost pellets by utilizing agro-waste binders to improve pellet quality and agricultural applications.