Table 3 Initial and final nutrient content (mean ± S.E.) and percent change over initial of different proportions of bagasse and cattle dung

pH

Initial

8.35 ± 0.08

8.25 ± 0.02

8.13 ± 0.04

7.77 ± 0.04

6.55 ± 0.07

Final

7.12 ± 0.05*

7.08 ± 0.08**

7.41 ± 0.04*

7.30 ± 0.04*

7.13 ± 0.06

% change

−14.73

−14.18

−8.85

−6.04

8.85

EC (mS/cm)

Initial

4.13 ± 0.17

3.86 ± 0.08

3.23 ± 0.14

1.63 ± 0.08

1.1 ± 0.1

Final

5.46 ± 0.14*

4.60 ± 0.11**

4.90 ± 0.11**

2.96 ± 0.12*

2.23 ± 0.12*

% change

32.20

19.17

51.70

81.59

102.72

TKN ^a

Initial

1.34 ± 0.01

0.83 ± 0.02

0.69 ± 0.05

0.43 ± 0.01

0.26 ± 0.01

Final

2.0 ± 0.03**

1.77 ± 0.06**

1.67 ± 0.04**

1.06 ± 0.03**

0.86 ± 0.04**

% change

49.25

113.25

142.02

146.51

230.76

TOC ^a

Initial

46.28 ± 0.52

49.92 ± 0.07

50.30 ± 0.10

54.25 ± 0.36

55.53 ± 0.27

Final

33.79 ± 0.36**

32.25 ± 0.65**

32.44 ± 0.56**

44.51 ± 0.27**

49.53 ± 0.35*

% change

−26.98

−35.39

−35.50

−17.95

−10.80

C/N ratio

Initial

34.53 ± 0.26

60.14 ± 2.39

72.89 ± 5.52

126.16 ± 4.05

213.57 ± 10.6

Final

16.89 ± 0.43**

18.22 ± 0.78**

19.42 ± 0.62*

41.99 ± 1.28**

57.59 ± 2.86**

% change

−51.08

−69.70

−73.35

−66.71

−73.03

TAP ^a

Initial

0.59 ± 0.06

0.48 ± 0.03

0.36 ± 0.03

0.28 ± 0.04

0.20 ± 0.05

Final

1.08 ± 0.05**

0.71 ± 0.05

0.68 ± 0.04**

0.40 ± 0.03

0.30 ± 0.03

% change

83.05

47.91

88.88

42.85

50.0

TK ^a

Initial

2.23 ± 0.04

2.38 ± 0.03

2.48 ± 0.07

2.85 ± 0.02

3.19 ± 0.04

Final

1.96 ± 0.06

2.47 ± 0.04

2.78 ± 0.04

2.98 ± 0.04*

3.26 ± 0.06

% change

−12.10

3.78

12.09

1.40

2.19

TNa ^a

Initial

8.09 ± 0.28

5.84 ± 0.15

5.09 ± 0.21

2.30 ± 0.09

1.08 ± 0.10

Final

13.42 ± 0.21**

6.98 ± 0.27*

7.75 ± 0.13*

3.88 ± 0.07**

2.53 ± 0.14*

% change

65.88

19.52

52.25

68.69

134.25

Zn ^b

Initial

63.52 ± 1.62

45.63 ± 0.55

34.8 ± 1.42

32.68 ± 0.59

21.54 ± 0.24

Final

120.6 ± 1.28**

130.2 ± 3.31**

115.5 ± 3.06**

84.09 ± 6.19*

60.63 ± 3.13**

% change

89.86

185.33

231.89

157.31

181.47

Cu ^b

Initial

55.57 ± 3.73

37.47 ± 1.31

32.17 ± 1.45

25.93 ± 1.59

18.6 ± 1.41

Final

41.33 ± 0.92*

29.57 ± 1.07

25.4 ± 2.17

21.6 ± 1.41

15.47 ± 1.32

% change

−25.62

−21.08

−21.04

−16.69

−16.82

Cr ^b

Initial

56.77 ± 4.28

41.47 ± 1.45

18.5 ± 1.07

13.1 ± 1.38

26.03 ± 2.64

Final

21.07 ± 1.33**

26.83 ± 1.29**

15.43 ± 0.95

11.97 ± 0.61

22.77 ± 1.16

% change

−62.88

−35.30

−16.59

−8.62

−12.52

Fe ^b

Initial

1483 ± 6.44

760.1 ± 10.98

698.8 ± 6.80

334 ± 6.15

249.5 ± 7.67

Final

899 ± 11.15**

998.9 ± 11.94**

1030 ± 14.44**

542.5 ± 6.06**

459.1 ± 7.28**

% change

−39.37

31.41

47.39

62.42

84.0

Mn ^b

Initial

83.09 ± 0.38

54.13 ± 0.71

45.34 ± 2.98

24.6 ± 2.14

16.79 ± 1.72

Final

181.4 ± 1.44**

81.87 ± 3.67*

66.7 ± 1.94*

35.1 ± 2.80

20.67 ± 2.34

% change

118.31

51.24

47.11

42.68

23.10