Summary:

In this study, composting of opium poppy processing solid waste with poultry manure and rough sawdust with five initial Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N ratio) ratio ranging from 20.45, 25.00, 29.03, 32.60 and 37.47 was carried out using fifteen-identical cylindrical stainless steel reactors, each of which has an effective volume of 100 L to determine the effects of initial C/N ratio on composting loss due to degradation (dry matter loss, organic matter loss, carbon loss, and nitrogen loss, and ammonia loss). The experiment lasted for 18.65 days. In the experiment, the temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, moisture, organic matter, total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents and NH3-N were monitored. Dry matter loss, organic matter loss, carbon loss, nitrogen loss, and NH3-N loss were expressed as a function of initial C/N ratio. Results showed that the highest dry matter loss and organic matter loss existed at the CN ratio of 29.70 and 31.18, respectively. The highest carbon loss occurred at the C/N ratio of 30.83. Both nitrogen loss and NH3-N loss decreased as the C/N ratio increased.