Organic waste can be appropriately recycled through composting and microbial decomposition. Composting is a natural process that involves the controlled decomposition of organic materials, such as food scraps, yard waste, and agricultural residues, into nutrient-rich compost. Microbes, specifically bacteria, fungi, and other decomposers, play a crucial role in this recycling process within an ecosystem.

In composting, microbes break down the organic matter into simpler compounds through a series of biochemical reactions. Bacteria are primarily responsible for breaking down complex organic compounds into simpler ones like sugars and amino acids. Fungi then further decompose these compounds, converting them into humus, a stable form of organic matter rich in nutrients.

The role of microbes in recycling nutrients is significant for several reasons:

To appropriately recycle organic waste, communities and individuals can set up composting systems to facilitate the natural decomposition process. This involves providing the right balance of organic materials, moisture, and aeration to support microbial activity. By harnessing the power of microbes, we can efficiently recycle organic waste, enrich the soil, and promote a sustainable nutrient cycle within ecosystems.

Dr S.J.Malik and Dr Rana Hamza Shakil thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Recycling of organic wastes also reduces the concentration of waste remaining for less efficient processes like landfill and incineration. Organic matter recycling increases the organic content of the soil, which improves soil fertility and provides essential nutrients to plant, increasing crop yield. Organic materials that may be recycled include the items: leaf and brush, yard trimmings, grass clipping, garden residue, food scraps and food soiled paper products that cannot be recycled with traditional materials. More and more people recycle every day. This helps to reduce the need for landfill and more costly forms of disposal. Recycling also reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution. Composting decomposes organic material using controlled heat and moisture production. This aerobic process recycles nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients into soil-enriching humus. Soil microbes play an important role in nutrient recycling. They decompose organic matter to release nutrients. They are also important to trap and transform nutrients into the soil, which can be taken up by plant roots. Nutrient cycling rate depends on various biotic, physical and chemical factors. With regards to trophic levels, microorganisms are capable of being: primary producers, engaging in photosynthesis or other autotrophic processes; heterotrophic consumers that consume other microorganisms; or decomposers, breaking down dead plant and animal material to recycle their components as nutrients. Soil microbes play an important role in nutrient recycling. They decompose organic matter to release nutrients. They are also important to trap and transform nutrients into the soil, which can be taken up by plant roots. Nutrient cycling rate depends on various biotic, physical and chemical factors. Microorganisms recycle nutrients by decomposing the organic waste materials present in the dead and decaying materials of animals and plants, and also degrade the organic pollutants present in the industrial as well as municipal wastes. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, act as decomposers as they break down the dead and decaying organisms into simpler nutrients that mix with the soil. These nutrients are absorbed by plants during photosynthesis. Microorganisms recycle nutrients by decomposing the organic waste materials present in the dead and decaying materials of animals and plants, and also degrade the organic pollutants present in the industrial as well as municipal wastes. The microbe plays an essential role of organic matter degradation in nutrient cycling; microorganism present in soil digests the organic matter including dead organisms. The nutrients get released by the breakdown of the organic molecule to make it available for plants to uptake nutrients in the soil through roots. The microbes that work in the recycling role use the organic carbon in the organic matter as an energy source. Recycling frees up nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus that are important to plant health. As soil microbes decompose organic residues, they slowly release nutrients back into the soil for the winter cover crops or for the preceding crop. Cover crops prevent the nutrients from being lost through soil erosion, leaching, volatilization, or denitrification.Here in, microbes carry out the decomposition of organic matter by utilizing carbon and nitrogen as the energy sources along with oxygen and water, ensuring the production of water, carbon dioxide, heat, and soil-enriching compost.