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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.
From Conventional Farming to Organic Farming
From Mineral Fertilizers to Compost
The system of intensive agriculture uses large amount of mineral fertilizers to stimulate and
encourage plant growth and pesticides which could damage the balance of microbiological
processes and fertility of soil. The evolution of agriculture in the last 2 decades had contributed to
substantial lost of unrecoverable energy. The total agriculture production assisted by mineral
fertilization today is estimated to lose 60% of unrecoverable energy as compared to organic
fertilization. The decrease of organic matter in conventional intensive agriculture practice can be
compensated by addition of organic matter as plant residues ploughing back into soil,
alternatively, plant residue can be applied on the surface of soil in the form of mulch, green
manure or composts.
The increasing demand for food is one of the most important issue faced by developing
countries, particularly in the Tropics due to the recent rapid population increase in these
countries. Direct application of plant residues, e.g., direct application of mulch on soil as nitrogen
can result initially in nitrogen deficiency, phytotoxicity and low-yield. These problems can be
avoided when plant residues are inoculated both with active decomposting cellulose and
nitrogen generating microorganisms but the most efficient way is by application of well matured
composts.
The sustainable development of environment and society is closely related to the natural
recycling of materials through composting, thus decreasing chemical input and increasing soil
organic matter content and fertility. Composting is the process of aerobic and anaerobic
degradation of organic waste principally of plant origin, which may be agricultural waste, garden
waste or domestic refuse. Good quality compost should be hygienic, highly humified, odourless
and smell like fertile soil. Good quality compost should have suppressive effect on development
of soil born pathogens, improve soil fertility, plant nutrition and plant yield.
WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
There are many definitions for composting and one of the more commonly used is: Composting
is the biological conversion of organic waste under controlled conditions into a hygienic, humus-
rich, relatively bio-stable product that improves land and plant nutrition uptake. So composting is
both recycling and a waste management technology. Therefore the process and the product
require many objectives to be achieved together.
The following can be defined as the main objectives of composting:
1. cost and/or economic reasons
2. environment conservation;
3. public acceptance;
4. controlling compost ecosystem:
(i) aerobic degradation in thermophilic (>55oC) and mesophilic conditions,
(ii) anaerobic degradation (>60oC); and
(iii) composting as a model for organic matter transformation in soil;
5. high quality composts: (i) high maturity; (ii) high stability; (iii) to improve soil fertility and to
reduce soil and air contamination;(iv) to improve food quality thus to protect the health of human
beings; (v) odour: prevention, removal or both; (vi) suitability for bio-remediation of heavy metal
contaminated soils and improving soil microbial diversity; (vii) to produce energy for heating
systems and electricity; (viii) composts used as growing medium; (ix) to contribute to the
sustainable agriculture, environment and society.
6. Marketing and sales of composts
HOW TO SELECT GOOD COMPOST
The present agricultural and environmental situation in Malaysia requires farmers who wish to
convert their traditional farming systems to organic farming to apply high quality composts in
order to avoid any inconveniences and to increase their yield and make it sustainable agriculture
practice.
Production of good quality compost should meet the following requirements :
- sufficiently long thermophilic stage (at least 10 days at temperature over 55oC; in fact, the
thermophilic stage is recommended to be at between 60oC–70oC for 1 month) during which all
pathogens and weeds seeds are completely destroyed,
- application of inoculants for composting processes acceleration, humification and suppression
effect to development of soil born pathogens
- sufficient duration of the entire composting process (composting process less than 2 months
will result in low stability and not well matured composts)
- good aeration (O2 content permanently over 12% in all stages) and mixing of compost during
the composting process
- presence of control quality system which encompasses the following areas :
o quality of raw materials used,
o oxygen level,
o moisture level,
o pH level,
o nutrient amount and composition,
o electrical conductivity,
o encourage germination of seeds,
o stimulation of plant growth, and
o stability and maturity of composts
Amount of heavy metals in composts is also important for the health of buyers. For example,
composts from most animal wastes are rich in heavy metals. Cow and horse excrements have
acceptable amount of heavy metals, however, pig and chicken excrements have exceedingly high
level of zinc and copper. Composts from chicken dung have in the beginning stimulating effect on
plant growth, but after several applications, soil became too concentrated with zinc and copper,
and exceeded the permissible standards, and thus inhibit development and growth of friendly
microbial.
Also buyers are strongly advised to inspect the label and check content of nitrate nitrogen is
higher than ammonium nitrogen, amount of NPK and micronutrients, availability of humic and
fulvic acids.
Continued. Characteristics of fully matured compost, etc....
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.
From Conventional Farming to Organic Farming
From Mineral Fertilizers to Compost
The system of intensive agriculture uses large amount of mineral fertilizers to stimulate and
encourage plant growth and pesticides which could damage the balance of microbiological
processes and fertility of soil. The evolution of agriculture in the last 2 decades had contributed to
substantial lost of unrecoverable energy. The total agriculture production assisted by mineral
fertilization today is estimated to lose 60% of unrecoverable energy as compared to organic
fertilization. The decrease of organic matter in conventional intensive agriculture practice can be
compensated by addition of organic matter as plant residues ploughing back into soil,
alternatively, plant residue can be applied on the surface of soil in the form of mulch, green
manure or composts.
The increasing demand for food is one of the most important issue faced by developing
countries, particularly in the Tropics due to the recent rapid population increase in these
countries. Direct application of plant residues, e.g., direct application of mulch on soil as nitrogen
can result initially in nitrogen deficiency, phytotoxicity and low-yield. These problems can be
avoided when plant residues are inoculated both with active decomposting cellulose and
nitrogen generating microorganisms but the most efficient way is by application of well matured
composts.
The sustainable development of environment and society is closely related to the natural
recycling of materials through composting, thus decreasing chemical input and increasing soil
organic matter content and fertility. Composting is the process of aerobic and anaerobic
degradation of organic waste principally of plant origin, which may be agricultural waste, garden
waste or domestic refuse. Good quality compost should be hygienic, highly humified, odourless
and smell like fertile soil. Good quality compost should have suppressive effect on development
of soil born pathogens, improve soil fertility, plant nutrition and plant yield.
WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
There are many definitions for composting and one of the more commonly used is: Composting
is the biological conversion of organic waste under controlled conditions into a hygienic, humus-
rich, relatively bio-stable product that improves land and plant nutrition uptake. So composting is
both recycling and a waste management technology. Therefore the process and the product
require many objectives to be achieved together.
The following can be defined as the main objectives of composting:
1. cost and/or economic reasons
2. environment conservation;
3. public acceptance;
4. controlling compost ecosystem:
(i) aerobic degradation in thermophilic (>55oC) and mesophilic conditions,
(ii) anaerobic degradation (>60oC); and
(iii) composting as a model for organic matter transformation in soil;
5. high quality composts: (i) high maturity; (ii) high stability; (iii) to improve soil fertility and to
reduce soil and air contamination;(iv) to improve food quality thus to protect the health of human
beings; (v) odour: prevention, removal or both; (vi) suitability for bio-remediation of heavy metal
contaminated soils and improving soil microbial diversity; (vii) to produce energy for heating
systems and electricity; (viii) composts used as growing medium; (ix) to contribute to the
sustainable agriculture, environment and society.
6. Marketing and sales of composts
HOW TO SELECT GOOD COMPOST
The present agricultural and environmental situation in Malaysia requires farmers who wish to
convert their traditional farming systems to organic farming to apply high quality composts in
order to avoid any inconveniences and to increase their yield and make it sustainable agriculture
practice.
Production of good quality compost should meet the following requirements :
- sufficiently long thermophilic stage (at least 10 days at temperature over 55oC; in fact, the
thermophilic stage is recommended to be at between 60oC–70oC for 1 month) during which all
pathogens and weeds seeds are completely destroyed,
- application of inoculants for composting processes acceleration, humification and suppression
effect to development of soil born pathogens
- sufficient duration of the entire composting process (composting process less than 2 months
will result in low stability and not well matured composts)
- good aeration (O2 content permanently over 12% in all stages) and mixing of compost during
the composting process
- presence of control quality system which encompasses the following areas :
o quality of raw materials used,
o oxygen level,
o moisture level,
o pH level,
o nutrient amount and composition,
o electrical conductivity,
o encourage germination of seeds,
o stimulation of plant growth, and
o stability and maturity of composts
Amount of heavy metals in composts is also important for the health of buyers. For example,
composts from most animal wastes are rich in heavy metals. Cow and horse excrements have
acceptable amount of heavy metals, however, pig and chicken excrements have exceedingly high
level of zinc and copper. Composts from chicken dung have in the beginning stimulating effect on
plant growth, but after several applications, soil became too concentrated with zinc and copper,
and exceeded the permissible standards, and thus inhibit development and growth of friendly
microbial.
Also buyers are strongly advised to inspect the label and check content of nitrate nitrogen is
higher than ammonium nitrogen, amount of NPK and micronutrients, availability of humic and
fulvic acids.
Continued. Characteristics of fully matured compost, etc....
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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