Sustainable composting of spent coffee grounds & organic waste: enhancing Brazilian spinach growth & soil fertility

Laeid-on, Karupakorn and Sangsila, Arunrussamee and Pormden, Worrawat (2025) Sustainable composting of spent coffee grounds & organic waste: enhancing Brazilian spinach growth & soil fertility. Malaysian Journal of Soil Science (MJSS) (Malaysia), 29. pp. 38-47. ISSN 1394-7990

Utilizing spent coffee grounds for compost production presents an avenue to mitigate environmental issues. Converting spent coffee grounds into compost helps improve soil properties, enhancing soil structure stability, reducing compaction, enhancing water retention, and improving soil chemical properties. From the experiments conducted, it was observed that the production of compost from coffee grounds resulting from experiments 1 to 6 can effectively reduce the volume of organic waste, providing a sustainable use for this leftover material. The decomposition process consisted of two stages. The initial stage involved the decomposition by a group of mesophilic bacteria, taking approximately 2-4 days to reach a higher temperature range of 60-70 °C Subsequently, the decomposition of organic matter was facilitated by a group of thermophilic bacteria, with the temperature gradually decreasing to around 25-30 degrees Celsius, which closely approximated the ambient temperature of the compost pile. Overall, the decomposition process took between 80-90 days. Over an 80–90-day composting period, the process achieved optimal conditions, with moisture content ranging between 31.66-34.50%, electrical conductivity values of 0.71-0.79, pH levels between 6.60-7.51, and a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 16.78-18.56%. The compost's nutrient composition included nitrogen (1.43-1.80%), phosphorus (0.54-0.68%), and potassium (0.71-0.80%), adhering to the standards set by the Department of Agriculture, Thailand. Application of this compost significantly improved the growth of Brazilian spinach, evidenced by enhanced canopy width, branch number, plant height, and total weight, with statistical significance (P<0.05) compared to control groups. This study not only presents a sustainable approach to managing coffee waste but also provides insights into effective organic fertilizer production for agricultural use. When the compost was tested for its effectiveness on Brazilian Spinach growth, it was found that all experiments had a statistically significant impact (P<0.05) on the width of the canopy, number of branches, plant height, and total weight. Notably, the experimental set using 100% coffee grounds (control) resulted in the smallest average measurements for canopy width, number of branches, plant height, and total weight.

Full text available from: Official URL: https://www.msss.com.my/mjss/Full%20Text/vol29/V29...

Abstract

Utilizing spent coffee grounds for compost production presents an avenue to mitigate environmental issues. Converting spent coffee grounds into compost helps improve soil properties, enhancing soil structure stability, reducing compaction, enhancing water retention, and improving soil chemical properties. From the experiments conducted, it was observed that the production of compost from coffee grounds resulting from experiments 1 to 6 can effectively reduce the volume of organic waste, providing a sustainable use for this leftover material. The decomposition process consisted of two stages. The initial stage involved the decomposition by a group of mesophilic bacteria, taking approximately 2-4 days to reach a higher temperature range of 60-70 °C Subsequently, the decomposition of organic matter was facilitated by a group of thermophilic bacteria, with the temperature gradually decreasing to around 25-30 degrees Celsius, which closely approximated the ambient temperature of the compost pile. Overall, the decomposition process took between 80-90 days. Over an 80–90-day composting period, the process achieved optimal conditions, with moisture content ranging between 31.66-34.50%, electrical conductivity values of 0.71-0.79, pH levels between 6.60-7.51, and a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 16.78-18.56%. The compost's nutrient composition included nitrogen (1.43-1.80%), phosphorus (0.54-0.68%), and potassium (0.71-0.80%), adhering to the standards set by the Department of Agriculture, Thailand. Application of this compost significantly improved the growth of Brazilian spinach, evidenced by enhanced canopy width, branch number, plant height, and total weight, with statistical significance (P<0.05) compared to control groups. This study not only presents a sustainable approach to managing coffee waste but also provides insights into effective organic fertilizer production for agricultural use. When the compost was tested for its effectiveness on Brazilian Spinach growth, it was found that all experiments had a statistically significant impact (P<0.05) on the width of the canopy, number of branches, plant height, and total weight. Notably, the experimental set using 100% coffee grounds (control) resulted in the smallest average measurements for canopy width, number of branches, plant height, and total weight.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	organic wastes
AGROVOC Term:	spinach
AGROVOC Term:	composting
AGROVOC Term:	waste management
AGROVOC Term:	sustainable use
AGROVOC Term:	organic fertilizers
AGROVOC Term:	electrical conductivity
AGROVOC Term:	soil fertility
AGROVOC Term:	plant growth
AGROVOC Term:	soil improvement
Geographical Term:	Brazil
Depositing User:	Mr. Khoirul Asrimi Md Nor
Date Deposited:	21 Jul 2026 14:05
Last Modified:	21 Jul 2026 14:05
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/4957

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