American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 16 (7): 1362-1371, 2016 ISSN 1818-6769 © IDOSI Publications, 2016 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2016.16.7.12961 Corresponding Author: Md Zahangir Hossain, Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh. Cell: +8801715640353, Fax: +88041731244. 1362 Plant Origin Wastes as Soil Conditioner and Organic Fertilizer: A Review Md Zahangir Hossain, Peter von Fragstein und Niemsdorff and Jürgen Heß 1 2 3 Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh 1 Department of Organic Vegetable Production, University of Kassel, Germany 2 Department of Organic Farming and Cropping, University of Kassel, Germany 3 Abstract: Use of by-products in agriculture plays a great role in recycling essential plant nutrients, sustain soil security as well as protect the environment from unwanted hazards. They also reduce toxicity of some heavy metals resulting increase yield of crops. This review paper deals with the use of transformed plant by-products as soil conditioner and fertilizer in agricultural field. Pressmud and molasses contain different nutrients and can be substituted for phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, respectively, in crop production. It can restore degraded soil, stabilizing soil particles and in waterlogged soils filter cake increases availability of nutrients. Vinasse can be used as fertigation and creates nutrients reservoir in winter season. It increases pH, CEC value in soil and availability of P and K for agricultural crops. Direct application of olive mill wastewater increases porosity, aggregate stability and reduces soil erosion and run-off of sloppy lands. It increases C/N ratio and helps to slow release of N into the soils. Plant origin wastes can be used as soil conditioner and fertilizer in agriculture. However, for maintaining soil health and crops yield, it is necessary to determine the proper doses of these by-products to avoid negative impact on soil, environment as well as human health. Key words: By-products Pressmud Olive mill wastewater Nutrients Crop production INTRODUCTION due to the observed improvement of soil properties According to Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata [1], waste Pressmud (PM) is a solid organic waste of sugar generated from the consumer-based lifestyles of world industries, serve as good organic manure and an people. It includes the items are no longer used by people, alternative source of plant nutrients and soil conditioner intend to discard or have already thrown away and some [6]. PM is considered as a carbon source [7] and are require to discard. For example; household rubbish, contributed to increase yield of crops and CEC in soil sewage sludge, wastes from manufacturing activities, [6]. Like PM, another by-product of sugar producing packaging items, discarded cars, garden waste etc. crops is called molasses [8]. Usually, it is used in Therefore, a large variety of different wastes producing production of ethanol [9], but molasses is a good from all our daily activities of life [2]. Waste generation source of plant nutrients [10], similarly, vinasse (semi- rates will more than double over the next twenty years in liquid waste of sugar-alcohol industry) contributes to lower income countries [1]. These ever growing large improvements in soil quality and productivity of amounts of wastes create environment and public health agricultural crops [11]. According to Barbera et al. [12], problems as well as odours from the landfills. Therefore, the olive mill wastewaters (OMWs) are considered as a to minimize these problems reuse as soil conditioner as good source of nutrients and their use for agricultural well as fertilizers in agriculture could be a better solution purposes may be a low cost source for water and of these plant origin wastes. Nowadays, with increasing nutrients. Thus, the reuse of OMWs [13, 14] is potentially demand to conserve natural resources, recycling of useful, especially in the regions of characterized by wastes assumes major importance. The organic waste of serious water and soil organic matter deficiencies. The plant origin provides a good source of nutrients to objective of this review is to evaluate the potential for the improve soil productivity [3]. Application of organic use of plant origin by-products as soil conditioner and wastes, to agricultural soils is popular cultural practice organic fertilizer in agriculture. and thus increases in crop yield and quality [4, 5].