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Composts: production, quality and application
by Professor Ognyan Kostov
You may read this article on this website. Alternately, you may also download this article here.
Copyright reserved LM Organic Fertilizer.
Continued article
Fully Matured Composts have the following characteristics :
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIG-SCALE & SMALL-SCALE COMPOST PRODUCERS?
Usually small-scale compost producers do not have sufficient and standard guidelines for quality
control system; do not apply inoculants and the compost products have varying quality and
quantity. Small-scale producers also have a tendency to produce compost with strong smell of
ammonia or rotten cabbages. Big-scale producers are in a better position to guarantee quality
control system, ensuring sufficient thermophilic stage, application of inoculants and their
composts are fully matured as characterised by being odourless or earthly smell compost
products. Their production quantity and quality is consistent, usually raw materials of mostly plant
based origin are used.
DISADVANTAGES OF LONG TERM APPLICATION OF MINERAL FERTILIZERS ONLY
The application of mineral fertilizers as only one source of nutrients have the following main
disadvantages: a/ significant reducing of biomass of root system (30-40%). This resulted in
decrease of take up of soil nitrogen from plants as compare to nitrogen from mineral fertilizers; b/
significantly inhibit soil and root nitrogen fixation from air which in tropical condition is 70-90 kg
N/ha/year; c/ there are shortages of molybdenum in the nitrate reductase enzymes in plant leaves
which make nitrate nitrogen assimilable to plants; d/ acidify soils; e/ increase availability of
exchangeable (toxic) aluminium in soils; f/ create conditions to appeared limitation of plant
growth due to shortages of supply of micro nutrients; g/ resulted in nitrate contamination of yield
of vegetables, fruits and grasses.
WHAT CAN A GOOD COMPOST DO & THE BENEFITS OF USING COMPOST
The most important criteria for good quality compost is high content of humic and fulvic acids. It is
important to note several significant advantages of high humus composts: regulate and stimulate
plant growth, increase yield to between 10-50% and quality of plant production; increase
effectiveness of mineral fertilizers; stimulate clay-humus complexes and conserved nutrients;
increase total amount of nutrients in soil, maximize capacity and turnover rate of nutrients in soils
and maximize uptake of minerals from soil by plants; increase aeration and increase
crumbly/friable/light of soils; increase tolerance of plant to draught; accelerate decomposition of
plant residues; improve water infiltration and oxygen diffusion; increase water holding capacity,
total prevention of nitrate contamination of fruits, minimise workers exposure to harmful
chemicals and recover root to overground plant biomass ratio back to normal.
Our experience confirmed that compost rich in humic and fulvic acids will increase size and
sweetness of dragon fruits, increase blossoming of plants and fruits stay fresh longer. Correct
compost application method, and rate & amount, will increase yield to between 12-19%. A
recommendation of 10 kg compost 2 times per year/Palm Oil Tree will give desired results. All
trees, grasses, vegetables and flowers showed improvement in their vegetative development
after being treated with compost.
CONCLUSION
Conventional intensive agriculture can be made more cost effective with the application of
compost on top of regular mineral fertilizers application program. The cost effectiveness comes
from higher efficiency of mineral fertilizer uptake by plants, stimulation of plant growth by humus
in good quality compost and prevent loss of nutrients from soil. Yield increase of 12-19% for the
Palm Oil Plantations have been observed. The increase of soil fertility level will make yield
consistent and programmable for the next years.
See results of experiment for biocompost and mineral fertilizers comparisons
in Ayer Tawar and Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia
by Professor Ognyan Kostov
You may read this article on this website. Alternately, you may also download this article here.
Copyright reserved LM Organic Fertilizer.
Continued article
Fully Matured Composts have the following characteristics :
- rich in NPK, Mg, Ca and micronutrients
- very rich in usefull bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes
- high functional and microbial diversity
- higher amount of nitrate nitrogen as compare to ammonium
- high level of humic and fulvic acids
- high level of enzymes (related to degradation of lino-celluloses complex, oil, humification,
availability of nutrients to plants) - good suppressive effect on soil born pathogens
- release nutrients according to plant needs
- long life in soil
- increase quantity and quality of plant yield
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIG-SCALE & SMALL-SCALE COMPOST PRODUCERS?
Usually small-scale compost producers do not have sufficient and standard guidelines for quality
control system; do not apply inoculants and the compost products have varying quality and
quantity. Small-scale producers also have a tendency to produce compost with strong smell of
ammonia or rotten cabbages. Big-scale producers are in a better position to guarantee quality
control system, ensuring sufficient thermophilic stage, application of inoculants and their
composts are fully matured as characterised by being odourless or earthly smell compost
products. Their production quantity and quality is consistent, usually raw materials of mostly plant
based origin are used.
DISADVANTAGES OF LONG TERM APPLICATION OF MINERAL FERTILIZERS ONLY
The application of mineral fertilizers as only one source of nutrients have the following main
disadvantages: a/ significant reducing of biomass of root system (30-40%). This resulted in
decrease of take up of soil nitrogen from plants as compare to nitrogen from mineral fertilizers; b/
significantly inhibit soil and root nitrogen fixation from air which in tropical condition is 70-90 kg
N/ha/year; c/ there are shortages of molybdenum in the nitrate reductase enzymes in plant leaves
which make nitrate nitrogen assimilable to plants; d/ acidify soils; e/ increase availability of
exchangeable (toxic) aluminium in soils; f/ create conditions to appeared limitation of plant
growth due to shortages of supply of micro nutrients; g/ resulted in nitrate contamination of yield
of vegetables, fruits and grasses.
WHAT CAN A GOOD COMPOST DO & THE BENEFITS OF USING COMPOST
The most important criteria for good quality compost is high content of humic and fulvic acids. It is
important to note several significant advantages of high humus composts: regulate and stimulate
plant growth, increase yield to between 10-50% and quality of plant production; increase
effectiveness of mineral fertilizers; stimulate clay-humus complexes and conserved nutrients;
increase total amount of nutrients in soil, maximize capacity and turnover rate of nutrients in soils
and maximize uptake of minerals from soil by plants; increase aeration and increase
crumbly/friable/light of soils; increase tolerance of plant to draught; accelerate decomposition of
plant residues; improve water infiltration and oxygen diffusion; increase water holding capacity,
total prevention of nitrate contamination of fruits, minimise workers exposure to harmful
chemicals and recover root to overground plant biomass ratio back to normal.
Our experience confirmed that compost rich in humic and fulvic acids will increase size and
sweetness of dragon fruits, increase blossoming of plants and fruits stay fresh longer. Correct
compost application method, and rate & amount, will increase yield to between 12-19%. A
recommendation of 10 kg compost 2 times per year/Palm Oil Tree will give desired results. All
trees, grasses, vegetables and flowers showed improvement in their vegetative development
after being treated with compost.
CONCLUSION
Conventional intensive agriculture can be made more cost effective with the application of
compost on top of regular mineral fertilizers application program. The cost effectiveness comes
from higher efficiency of mineral fertilizer uptake by plants, stimulation of plant growth by humus
in good quality compost and prevent loss of nutrients from soil. Yield increase of 12-19% for the
Palm Oil Plantations have been observed. The increase of soil fertility level will make yield
consistent and programmable for the next years.
See results of experiment for biocompost and mineral fertilizers comparisons
in Ayer Tawar and Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia
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ARTICLES
Part 1: Waste Not, Want Not
The origin of early waste
management practices
Part 2: Fighting A Losing Battle?
Increasing consumption leads to a
growing waste management problem
Recycling Organic Waste
Commercialisation of recycling
efforts as part of waste management
efforts (US & UK experience)
Recycling Organic Waste
The Malaysian experience
Origins Of Modern Organic Farming
Discovery of the benefits of
composting
Back to Nature: Economic And
Environmental Concerns
Why the renaissance and interest in
composting?
Coming Soon
In Brief: The Composting Process
Composting Controls
Composting Systems
Part 1: Waste Not, Want Not
The origin of early waste
management practices
Part 2: Fighting A Losing Battle?
Increasing consumption leads to a
growing waste management problem
Recycling Organic Waste
Commercialisation of recycling
efforts as part of waste management
efforts (US & UK experience)
Recycling Organic Waste
The Malaysian experience
Origins Of Modern Organic Farming
Discovery of the benefits of
composting
Back to Nature: Economic And
Environmental Concerns
Why the renaissance and interest in
composting?
Coming Soon
In Brief: The Composting Process
Composting Controls
Composting Systems