The HA:FA ratio of all the composts increased significantly with composting time mainly due to decrease in FA
production (Fig.5). The values of HA:FA ratio in the
composts at 150 days ranged from 1.78 to 2.95. Generally,
fresh and raw composts contain low levels of HA and
higher levels of FA compared to mature compost [10], and
a similar trend occurred in this study. Iglesias- Jimenez and
Perez-Garcia [19] proposed a value of HA:FA ratio[1.9 as
a maturity index of city-refuse and sewage-sludge composts. In our study, microbial inoculants (C3), sewage
sludge (C4) and pressmud (C5) composts attained values
[1.9 at 120 days, poultry waste (C6) and phospho (C2)