Use of Municipal Garbage for the Production of Quality Swietenia macrophylla King (Mahogany) Seedlings

Domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes are turning to become the major threats to the human health and environment. Municipal waste management is the most challenging issue since these wastes are dumped in open places and not being used or treated for any purpose. It has created a real threat not only to the living environment but also for the cultivation of crops as well as afforestation. The present investigation was conducted to study the influence of two weeks decayed or stored waste materials as component potting media on the growth and vigour of Swietenia macrophylla (mahogany) seedlings. The municipal waste, coir waste and tea wastes were mixed with sand and soil in different concentrations. At the end of the study, the growth and biomass production was higher in soil : partly decayed municipal waste in 1:1 (T2) and high quality seedlings were produce in control (soil, sand and cow dung in 1:1:1). Above ground and below ground biomass was maximum produced by soil : partly decayed municipal waste (T2) and control (T1) respectively. The physiological characters like number of leaves, specific leaf weight and chlorophyll content were highest in soil, the potting media of partly decomposed municipal waste : sand mixture (T5). Leaf weight and relative growth rate gave highest in soil : partly decayed tea waste : sand in 1:1:1 (T7). The present study revealed that potting media of partially decomposed municipal as well as tea waste in combination with soil and sand provided better performance in growth attributes. The present investigation reiterated that municipal or industrial waste will be a good alternative to the standard potting media which is widely used in the mass production of seedlings of mahogany in the nursery.