Composting methods and techniques (praveen.b.patil)21;05;14

methods of composting and preparation techniques

1. UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURAL ,SCIENCE, SHIMOGA College of horticulture,MUDIGERE Presentation on : Composting…. Types & method of preparation. Submitted to : mr.Devaraju Dept. of vegetable science Submitted by : Praveen.B.Patil MH02TAC020 Dept. of horticultural entomology

2. W e l c o m e

3. Composting…. . Types & method of preparation.

4. Compost A mass of rotted organic matter made from waste is called compost. The compost made from farm waste like sugarcane trash, paddy straw, weeds and other plants and other waste is called farm compost. The compost made from town refuses like night soil, street sweepings and dustbin refuse is called town compost. Composting is essentially a microbiological decomposition of organic residues collected from rural area (rural compost) or urban area (urban compost).

5. Average nutrient contents of farm compost and urban compost Rural Urban compost compost N 0.15 1.4 P 2 o 5 0.5 1 K 2 o 0.5 1.4

6. Benefits of Compost In addition to, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, certain micronutrients viz. manganese, copper, iron, and zinc also found in compost which helps them to control diseases and insects. Compost improves the quality of soil, and for this reason it is considered as a soil conditioner. Compost improves the structure and texture of the soil enable them to retain nutrients, moisture, and air for the betterment of growth of plants. It contains a variety of the basic nutrients required for healthy growth of plants.

7. Mechanism of Composting Composting is a biochemical process in which aerobic and anaerobic microorganism decomposes organic matter into valuable manure called as compost. Organic matter Release heat ( Thermophilic state, which helps to destroy pathogens) Temp 55-60 o c Organic matter compost ( Mesophilic state ,Temp. 25-30o c, promote mesophilic microbes for rapid decomposition )

8. Microorganism Involved in Composting Anaerobes Which decompose organic matter in absence of oxygen Two type of microbes which help in composting process are: Aerobes Which decompose organic matter in presence of oxygen

9. Indore method In the  Indore method  of composting, organic wastes are spread in the cattle shed to serve as bedding. Urine soaked material along with dung is removed every day and formed into a layer of about 15 cm thick at suitable sites. Urine soaked earth, scraped from cattle sheds is mixed with water and sprinkled over the layer of wastes twice or thrice a day. Layering process continued for about a fortnight. A thin layer of well decomposed compost is sprinkled over top and the heap given a turning and reformed. Old compost acts as inoculum for decomposing the material. The heap is left undisturbed for about a month. Then it is thoroughly moistened and given a turning. The compost is ready for application in another month.

10. Size of the pit Breadth - 6-8 feet Depth - 2-3 feet ( not more than 3 feet) Length - 10 feet or more as per requirement

11. Raw material Mix plant residues, weeds, sugarcane leaves, grass, wood ashes, bran etc. Animal dung Urine soaked mud Wood ashes Water

12. F illing the composting pits One more layer of bedding material with wood ash and urinated mud should be added. First of all, spread dry wastes with cattle dung and soil in ratio of 4:2:1 up to 2 inch layer in Composting pit. Afterwards, sprinkle the water over the materials Pit is filled with above materials up to 1 foot above the ground level

13. Turning The material is turned three times for proper aeration and moisture. First turning : 10-15 days after filling the pits. Second turning : 15 days after first turning. Third turning : After 2 month of second turning

14. Bangalore method In the  Bangalore method  of composting, dry waste material of 25 cm thick is spread in a pit and a thick suspension of cow dung in water is sprinkled over for moistening. A thin layer of dry waste is laid over the moistened layer. The pit is filled alternately with dry layers of material and cow dung suspension till it rises 0.5 m above ground level. It is left exposed without covering for 15 days. It is given a turning, plastered with wet mud and left undisturbed for about 5 months or till required.

15. This method saves labour cost because there is no need of turning and regular sprinkling of water. Composting is done in trenches of 30’ × 6’ × 3’ or in pits of 20’ × 6’ ×3. Size of the pit

16. Method of Filling the Composting Pits Finally the heap is covered with 1 inch thick mud. After 8-9 months all material decomposes and compost becomes ready for the application. Spread the moist farm refuse at the bottom of the pit up to one inch. Then, spread two inch of cattle dung and urinated mud followed by 1 or 2 inch layer of soil This heap is made up to 1.5-2.0 feet above the ground level following above process.

17. NADEP Method This method facilitates a lot of composting through minimum use of cattle dung. In this method, the decomposition process takes place aerobically.

18. Steps for NADEP Method of Composting Selection of site and compost making Material required Method of filling tank Second filling

19. Selection of site Plastering of inner wall and floor of the tank should be done by mixture of dung and mud. The tank should be located near cattle shed or farm site. The tank should be 10’ ×6’ ×3’in size and are prepared with 9’ inch thick wall Proper blocks and holes of 7 inches should be left on all the four side of the tank wall for the circulation of air. Size of pit

20. Materials Required S. No. Material Quantity (Kg) 1. Farm residues 1400-1500 2. Cattle dung 90-100 3. Dry sieved soil 1750 4. water 1500-2000

21. Method of Filling Tank Slurry made of cow dung and water should be sprinkled on the floor and the walls of tank. The filling of tank follows these steps: First layer Plant residues are spread evenly in layer up to 6 inches (10-100 Kg) in tank. Second layer: 4-5 Kg Cattle dung of gobber gas-slurry in 125 to 150 litres of water should be apply on the first layer. Third layer: 50-60 Kg sieved soil added on the second layer of tank .

22. In this way, the tank is filled layer by layer up to 1.5 feet above the brick level of tank. Filled tank should be covered and sealed by 3 inch layer of soil (300-400Kg) It should also be pasted with a mixture of dung and soil. Periodically the paste of cattle dung and water should be sprinkle to maintain 15-20% moisture.

23. Second Filling Periodically the paste of cattle dung and water should be sprinkle to maintain 15-20% moisture. At this stage, the process of the first filling is repeated and again sealed with paste of mud & dung. After 20 days, the plant residue contracts and goes down in the tank by 20-25 inches.

24. Coimbatore method In  Coimbatore method , composting is done in pits of different sizes depending on the waste material available. A layer of waste materials is first laid in the pit. It is moistened with a suspension of 5-10 kg cow dung in 2.5 to 5.0 I of water and 0.5 to 1.0 kg fine bone meal sprinkled over it uniformly. Similar layers are laid one over the other till the material rises 0.75 m above the ground level. It is finally plastered with wet mud and left undisturbed for 8 to 10 weeks. Plaster is then removed, material moistened with water, given a turning and made into a rectangular heap under shade. It is left undisturbed till its use.

25. Vermi -compost Vermicomposting is a process that relies on earthworms and microorganisms to help stabilize active organic materials and convert them to a valuable soil amendment and source of plant nutrients. Earthworms will consume most organic materials, including food preparation residuals and leftovers, scrap paper, animal manure, agricultural crop residues, organic byproducts from industries, and yard trimmings.

26. Importance of vermicomposting Instead of disposing of food scraps, yard wastes, and other organics, the materials can be vermicomposted .  This method of recycling converts organic materials that have traditionally been viewed as waste into a valuable soil amendment for plants and crops. When vermicompost is added to soil, it boosts the nutrients available to plants and enhances soil structure and drainage. Vermicompost has also been shown to increase plant growth and suppress plant disease and insect pest attacks.

27. Advantages of vermicompost Vermicompost is rich in all essential plant nutrients. Provides excellent effect on overall plant growth, encourages the growth of new Shoots / leaves and improves the quality and shelf life of the produce. Vermicompost is free flowing, easy to apply, handle and store and does not have bad odour . It improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water holding capacity and prevents soil erosion. Vermicompost is rich in beneficial micro flora such as , P- solubilizers, cellulose decomposing micro-flora etc in addition to improve soil environment. Vermicompost contains earthworm cocoons and increases the population and activity of earthworm in the soil. Vermicompost minimizes the incidence of pest and diseases. It enhances the decomposition of organic matter in soil.

28. Nutritive value of vermicompost Organic carbon 9.5 – 17.98% Nitrogen              0.5 – 1.50% Phosphorous 0.1 – 0.30% Potassium 0.15 – 0.56% Sodium 0.06 – 0.30% Calcium and Magnesium 22.67 to 47.60 meq/100g Copper 2 – 9.50 mg kg-1   Iron        2 – 9.30 mg kg-1 Zinc 5.70 – 11.50 mg kg-1 Sulphur                128 – 548 mg kg-1

29. Suitable species of worms for vermi -composting Eisenia foetida Eudrilus euginae Perionyx excavatus Bimastos parvus

30. Basic characters of suitable species Should be tolerant to disease Culturing technique should be simple enough to adopt Should be efficient convertor of plant or animal bio-mass Wider adaptability Growth rate-fast Compatibility with other worms Worms should produce large number of cocoons that should not have long hatching time, so that multiplication and organic matter conversion is fast

31. Requirements for vermicomposting Container :- In a container of 2.23x 2.23 m, about 10 kg of earthworms can convert approximately 1t per month Bedding material :-This is the lower most layer of earthworm feed substrate that is required to be composted-banana stem peels, coir pith, coconut leaves, grasses etc.. Moisture content :- 30-40% Temperature :- 20-30 is optimum

32. Thanks to 1 & all………