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Compost Making

Our farms need lots and lots of good organic compost More is less. It is important for every organic farm to be self sufficient in compost making. In this session, we will learn about the correct ways and techniques to make really good quality compost. What are some of the common mistakes that we normally make Making the compost in a pit; improper water drainage; Not having good aeration - results in anaerobic bad smelling compost and can contain pathogens instead of decomposing it rots. Not having the right mix/proportion of materials (proteinaceous and carbonaceous material in contact with each other) inefficient decomposition results in very poor quality

Too small (no critical mass for starting the decomposition process) Too wide or tall (big and hence no aeration) or Large surface area exposed to direct sunlight nitrogen and nutrient loss What is the right way of making compost?? The ideal size for the compost pile is 2 meters wide, 1.5 meters high and 5 meters long. The length can be as long as practical. 1 meter length will give you approx. 0.5 to 1 tonne of good compost. What are the materials required to make good compost? 60% protienaceous material like cow dung, green grass, leaves preferably from nitrogen fixing plants gliricidia, sunhemp, sespania. Good quality cow dung make most of it in the form of a slurry 40% carbonaceous material like dry grass, dry leaves, paddy straw, sugaecane bagasse (sugar good), coir pith soak in water before using Lime (used for applying to walls) Woodash, Rockdust (Borewell dust) BD 502-507 (1 set) or CPP Water Air

Rockdust (Borewell dust, Granite Quarry dust)

Start by marking the area and making air tunnels using twigs and sticks Put a 4 inch layer of carbonaceous material

In case there is a phosphate deficiency, Sprinkle rock dust (borewell powder) phosphate Put cowdung slurry over this Put a 6 inch layer of green material

Sprinkle a little lime over this lime should not come in contact with cowdung directly causes volatization (nitrogen loss) Build up the layers to a height of 1 meters. Repeat about 5 times. Each layer grouping will be about 12 inches.

Make 5 deep and evenly spaced holes on the side of the compost pile. Using cowdung, make 5 balls. To each ball add one BD prep (502-506). Put each ball in one hole.

Make 3 evenly spaced holes on the top of the compost pile. Mix 10 ml BD507 in 1 litre of pure water. Stri for 10 minutes. Pour of this in this hole. Sprinkle the rest all over the compost pile. Make a thick slurry of cowdung and plaster the compost. Cover the pile with straw and coconut fronds. Poke a stick in the pile and feel the temperature Keep the heap moist Turn the heap after 6 weeks. If you have made 2 heaps side by side, mix the two and make one in the middle. The compost will be ready in 3-4 months. What are the activities/processes that take place during these months?? Breakdown Stage - Check the temperature again in a couple of days. The temperature should be above 50-70 degrees centigrade. It will remain in this stage, called the breakdown stage for 2-3 weeks. The amino acids are breaking down the carbon and thermophyllic bacteria are active during this time and the ph level will be 5.5 to 6.5 (acidic). Also Actinomycetes are active. These produce antibiotics which prevent the proliferation of mineralizing bacteria and this prevents loss of valuable nutrients. If temperature is too high, indication that it is too tightly packed, you will need to turn the compost otherwise instead of compost you will get only ash. If temperature is too low, indication that aeration is not good and materials in not in correct proportion and/or the materials are too damp.

Build Up Stage Temperature drops down to 45 degrees centigrade. The ph is neutral. Mesophyllic bacteria are now active. The compost may be used at this stage. Lasts for 3-4 weeks Stabilization Stage The temperature drops to ambient temperature and ph level will be 7+ (Alkaline). Here the free nitrogen from the atmosphere is fixed by the nitrogen fixing micro-organisms.These need source of Calcium to multiply and here the limestone that was added helps. Best time to use compost.

Application Quantity
For Vegetables 10 meter cube. (2-3 compost heaps or about 10 tonnes) For Paddy 5-10 meter cube (1-2 compost heaps or about 5 tonnes) For Tea/Coffee 3-5 meter cube (1 compost heap or about 3 tonnes)

Additional Interesting Facts


Dont use too much coir pith. Has lignin which suppresses growthBest time to apply compost is just before monsoon. Hence start making in Feb./March Cover with mulch to prevent nutrient loss Good to moisten dont let it dry out. Good compost will smell sweet. It generates proper humus and does not have pathogens. During build-up phase, micro-organisms and macro-organisms(earthworms, grinders, insects, crustaceans) come into the heap from the sorroundings and start chewing up the organic matter. Hence important to do the compost in a fertile area. Also during the build-up phase the fungi, protected by the anti-biotics produced by the actinomycetes will start multiplying and attacking the cellulose and lignin. Composting can be speeded up by shredding the carbonaceous material Invest in a good thermometer long metal one can measure upto 100 degree centigrade. Plan for enough bio-mass by growing hedge rows of Glyricidia, Erythrina (?) Rock (Borewell, Quarry) dust etc. cannot be applied in a chemical farm, but in BD, microbes digest it and give it out in a form that is more digestible. Compost Pile Dimensions 9 strides (5 meters) long, 4 strides (2 meters) wide and shoulder (1.5 meters) high makes a 15 m3 pile and requires about a tractor load of green material, tractor load of dry material and one bullock cart load of cow dung and about 75 kgs of rock phosphate. This will yield upto 5 tonnes of compost if made correctly. Ideal CN ration for the starting material is between 20:1 to 30:1

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