Mixed compost of Chinese chive stalks with corn stalks

The composting experiment took place in the experimental hall on the first floor of the College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering at China Agricultural University. Preliminary tests indicated that physicochemical indices met maturity standards by day 20, and pile temperature stabilized at ambient levels by day 21. Consequently, the composting cycle was set at 21 days.Aerobic composting was performed in reactor systems with an effective volume of 80 L (internal diameter: 400 mm; height: 650 mm). Aeration was delivered in three 1-hour intervals daily: 8:00-9:00, 15:00-16:00, and 22:00-23:00.Raw materials (Chinese chive stalks and corn straw) were pulverized to 1 cm fragments prior to composting.