Estiércol de Alpaca en el compostaje de residuos orgánicos universitarios: caracterización fisicoquímica y microbiológica, Perú

Abstract

The valorization of organic waste through composting is a sustainable option for higher-education institutions. The aim was to assess the effect of different proportions of alpaca manure on the composting of organic waste from the Universidad Nacional Tecnológica de Lima Sur (Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru). Three treatments were established, with one unit per treatment (n = 1): T1 (control, 0 %), T2 (8 %), and T3 (17 % v/v manure). Temperature and material height were monitored, and the final compost was characterized physicochemically and microbiologically in an accredited laboratory; the analysis was descriptive-comparative. Treatment T3 showed the highest maximum temperature (34 °C), the shortest duration (43 days), and the highest microbial counts, with marked increases in free-living nitrogen-fixing and nitrifying bacteria and the highest microbial respiration (2.34 mg CO2 g-1 d-1). pH increased with dose (6.11 to 7.99), and total nitrogen decreased in T3 (1.36 %). No treatment reached the thermophilic phase, and compliance with NTP 201.208:2021 was partial (30-40 %). Adding alpaca manure, especially at 17 %, was associated with greater microbiological activity and faster decomposition, although the high metabolic quotient suggests the compost is still undergoing maturation. These preliminary results provide the first evaluation of alpaca manure in university composting in Peru.