Johnson-Su composting system as a sustainable organic waste management strategy in forested ecosystems
Keywords:
Agroforestry residue valorization, passive aeration, nutrient recovery, salinity, sodicityAbstract
The increasing accumulation of organic solid waste represents an environmental and social threat on a global scale due to its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and the loss of recoverable resources. This study evaluated four composting bioreactor configurations based on the Johnson-Su system, installed at the Instituto Tecnológico de El Salto, Durango, to process domestic and agroforestry organic residues generated in the region. Temperature, moisture, and pH were monitored for six months. At the end of the process, the resulting materials were chemically characterized, and the applicable parameters were compared with the values established in the NMX-AA-180-SCFI-2018 standard. The results showed high organic matter and nutrient contents; however, differences among configurations were also identified in variables associated with salinity, sodicity and nitrogen conservation. The bioreactor R3 showed the most balanced chemical profile among the evaluated configurations. Overall, these bioreactors may contribute to the regional valorization of organic waste, provided that the resulting materials are applied as organic amendments at controlled rates and under appropriate technical criteria.
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