Enhancing bottle gourd yield through organic waste recycling

Purpose: This research endeavor aimed to produce composts using banana plant leftovers (stem and leaves) and animal manures (poultry and cattle), and subsequently assess their nutrient concentrations and the resulting impact on bottle gourd growth. Method: Two distinct composts were prepared by utilizing banana plants (stems + leaves) blended with cattle and poultry manure in cemented pits. Afterwards the prepared composts were used as soil amendments. The treatments included T1: control, T2: Recommended NPK, T3: 10-ton compost 1 Banana leaves + Poultry manure T4: 10-ton compost 2 Banana leaves + Cattle manure, T5: 5-ton compost 1 + ½ NPK, and T6: 5 ton compost 2 + ½ NPK. Results: The study revealed that composts significantly improved plant development and yield, with enhanced effectiveness when combined with NPK fertilizers. The treatments led to substantial increases in vine length (25-61%), branch number (25-72%), fruit dimensions, weight (14-79%), and yield (13-55%), with NPK treatment showing the highest gains. The N concentration doubled, while P and K concentrations increased 13-fold and 5-fold, respectively. Both sole and integrated NPK + Compost 2 applications effectively enhanced N concentration, while the highest P and K increases were observed with the sole NPK application, closely followed by the integrated approach. Conclusion: Composting effectively recycled banana plant leftovers, cattle, and poultry manure, producing high-quality compost that significantly enhances growth, yield, and nutrient accumulation in bottle gourd. The combined use of compost and NPK fertilizers outperforms their individual application, suggesting that this integrated nutrient management strategy is ideal for optimizing bottle gourd production in low-fertility soils. Research Highlights • Composting banana, cattle, and poultry waste produced high-quality compost, supporting sustainable agriculture • The physico-chemical characteristics of compost were highly influenced by the materials (feedstocks) used during the composting process • Compost application boosted growth, yield, and nutrient uptake in bottle gourd • Integrated compost and NPK application enhanced productivity and soil health