ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION

GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1

COMPOSTING

Importance of composting

Sangalang, et.al (1977) claim that the composting process involves the decomposition
of organic materials to form small bits of organic matter called compost. The whole process is
done by organisms that use organic matter principally as a source of carbon and secondarily as a
source of nitrogen and other elements for their growth and reproduction.

If the organic matter contains little or no N, the microorganism gets it from the soil. A majority
of the decomposers are microorganism. Microorganisms such as earthworms, termite, and other
insects also contribute in breaking down organic materials. Therefore, the two requirements
for the process to occur are (1) composting materials and (2) decomposers to speed up the
process. The composting materials must be easy to decompose, and the needs of the
microorganisms must be adequately supplied.

What do compost organisms need?

According to INGO (2005), the needs of the compost organisms are:

1. Balanced diet of compost materials

 “Browns” – Browns are compost materials that are brown and dry. Examples of
which are sawdust, dried leaves, straw and small twigs, and others. “Browns” are high
in carbon, which for microbes are energy food.
 “Greens” – Greens are compost materials that are green and moist like kitchen wastes,
grass cuttings, and the like. “Greens” are high in nitrogen, which microbes need to make
proteins

Composition of a balanced diet of compost organisms

If you add about 3 parts of browns to 1 part of greens, then the compost organisms will
have a balanced diet.

1. Right amount of air and water

If there is the right amount of oxygen and moisture, microbes can rapidly grow and
multiply. If there is too much or too little water, then the microbes die.

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 1 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
Compost materials should have a thin film of water around them, and many pore spaces
filled with air.

2. Right temperature

Organic materials will eventually decay even in a cold compost pile. However, the decay
process is sped up in a hot compost pile. When bacteria and fungi grow rapidly, they burn a lot
of food, and give off a lot of heat. If the compost pile is big enough, the heat will build up inside
the pile. Bacteria that grow well at high temperature take over and speed up the decay
process.

Methods of composting

Composting is the rotting down of plant and animal residues before it is applied to the soil.
The following are the different methods of composting adapted
fromhttp://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-techniques.html.

1. Sheet Composting

“Sheet composting, also known as sheet mulching, can be a great way to add organic
matter back into your soils. Essentially, this composting technique entails spreading thin layers of
organic materials (i.e. compost ingredients) on top of the soil surface. Some also consider this
technique to be "composting in place." Using green manure is another means of sheet composting.
This technique is often used on a large scale; however, it can also be done successfully in your
backyard.”

2. In-vessel Composting

“In-vessel composting is becoming more and more popular with large-scale compost
producers. This method involves composting within an enclosed containment system, often a
large cylindrical-shaped container. The equipment involved in setting up an in-vessel composting
system is typically quite expensive, and therefore usually limits it's usage to industrial-sized
composting operations. There are numerous benefits of in-vessel composting, such as an increased
processing speed, year-round composting, and a highly controlled environment.”

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 2 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
3. Anaerobic Composting

“Anaerobic composting describes the biological breakdown of organic materials by

living anaerobic organisms. This may not be the most odor-rific composting method, but it can be
quite effective. Some of the benefits of composting anaerobically include the following: it is one of the
most basic means of producing compost; it can be done on a small scale; and it typically produces
more humus per unit of starting material than most other composting methods.”

4.Trench Composting

“Trench composting involves digging holes in your garden soil and burying raw
compost ingredients. Some people swear by this method, whereas others want nothing to do with it.
Similar to anaerobic composting, this method of decomposition is quite simple; however, the
materials tend to take longer to breakdown than when using other composting techniques.”

5. Bokashi Composting

“Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning fermented organic matter. Therefore, bokashi

composting describes the making of compost via fermentation. To achieve optimal results, your
compost materials are inoculated with a microbial starter culture, and placed inside a sealed
container. These starter cultures consist of several different species of microorganisms, all of which
thrive in anaerobic conditions. One of the most popular microbial inoculants is called Effective
Microorganisms or EM.”

6. Composting Barrels

“Composting barrels, or compost tumblers, are a great composting technique for

backyard growers. They are self-contained, clean, and if big enough, can produce a fair amount of
compost in a short period.”

“You can buy composting barrels from a commercial supplier or you save your money and
make one yourself.”

7. Vermicomposting

Composting is the process of converting organic materials like leaves and animal
manure into “humus” an organic matter through decomposition by the action of microbes
and other organisms. Humus is rich in nutrients and contributes to soil texture and water
retention.
Date developed: Document No. 1
Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 3 of 7
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Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
According to Lomat (undated), normal decomposition of grass cuttings can take up to six
months. However, this can be accelerated to as short as 30 – 45 days by the use of earthworms
to digest the organic materials. This is called vermicomposting (vermis in Latin) that yield
beneficial by-products known as vermicompost or vermicast. In a single process, two products
are produced: the vermicast which is pure worm excreta and the worm biomass.

The production of vermi compost is timely since inorganic fertilizer is now becoming very
expensive and there is also an increasing demand for organically produced agricultural crops. An
added benefit is that the earthworm can be made into high protein animal and fish feed
supplement.

Steps in vermicomposting

a. Gathering of materials
Composting materials such as rice straw, grass, leaves, kitchen wastes, animal
manure, and used mushroom substrate will be collected and shredded as the
earthworm may not be able to digest them effectively. After which, some animal
manures will be added to increase the nitrogen content of the materials.

b. Selecting the site

The site should be airy, dry, near water source, and raw materials for the food of the
earthworms. The temperature of the area should be around 260C

c. Selecting the worm housing

Vermi bed/Wormbed, Courtesy of Bukig National Agricultural & Technical School (BNATS-Aparri)

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 4 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
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MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
Vermi bed/wormbeds may be made out of different materials like iron bars, old
plastic basins, split bamboo, or hollow blocks.

Windrows
Windrows are piles of substrates that are decomposed before feeding them to
the worms. They are usually about one meter wide and at least a meter high and can
be of any length as desired.

Preparation of beddings. Bedding is the living medium for the worms and also a food source. A
wide variety of bedding materials can be used including newspapers, sawdust, rice straw, pre
composted manure, and dried leaves. After preparing the bedding materials, they should be
subjected to either anaerobic or aerobic decomposition.

Anaerobic decomposition (10-14 days).

Arrange the bedding materials or substrate into a bed about two (2) feet high under partial
shade like a tree. Cover the bed with plastic for two weeks for anaerobic decomposition by bacteria
and fungi present in the material until the temperature will rise to about 70°C

Aerobic decomposition (30-35 days)

Remove the plastic cover when the temperature of the bed cools. The media should smell
sweet.

Maintenance of the worm beds

When the bedding materials reached the moisture content of about 60-80% (when a
fistful is squeezed a few drops of water should fall), the earthworms will be placed on top at the
rate of 1 kg per square meter. Put sidings of hollow blocks or sawali. Protect against birds, cats,
rats etc., as well as heavy rains as nutrients will leach.

Harvesting, Drying, and Storing. After 45-60 days the vermin compost can be harvested by
passing the composted materials through a sieve to separate the worms from the decomposed
leaves. The worms can be recycled into other composting beds or made into vermi-meal. The
compost should be spread-over to dry for one day ready for sale. The vermi-cast is then prepared for
packaging. The final products are placed in bags ready for storage, distribution or for use.

TIPS:
Compost is ready to use when it is dark brown, crumbly, and has an earthy smell.

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 5 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
 Manual extraction. Pick worms by hand and transfer them to a new wormbed. The vermicompost
may be allowed to dry in the shade for a few days
 Pyramid of Egypt. Under the shade, pile the vermicompost in such a manner that it looks like a
pyramid. After a day, you can harvest the top part easily because the worms have gone to the
bottom of the pile. When you reach the bottom of the pile, you can extract the worms manually.
 Migration. Move the contents of the whole bed to one side. Fill the empty half with new substrate
as food. Allow the worms to move freely to the new food.

PARTIAL EXTRACTION WITH NET BAG

Fill an onion
bag with fresh food and bury it in the middle of the bed. After a week or so, the
bag will be filled with worms that you can empty to a new worm bed. This
facilitates the gathering of worms.

Table 9. Composting materials showing the presence of carbon and nitrogen

(http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.htm)

Material Carbon/Nitrogen Information

 table scraps Nitrogen  add with dry carbon items

 fruit & vegetable scraps Nitrogen  add with dry carbon items

 eggshells Neutral  best when crushed

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 6 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
GAS 11 –Third Quarter - Week 1
 leaves Carbon  leaves break down faster when shredded

 add in thin layers so they don't mat into

 grass clippings Nitrogen
clumps

 garden plants --  use disease-free plants only

 lawn & garden weeds Nitrogen  only use weeds which have not gone to seed

 shrub prunings Carbon  woody prunings are slow to break down

 straw or hay Carbon  straw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal

 green comfrey leaves Nitrogen  excellent compost 'activator'

 pine needles Carbon  acidic; use in moderate amounts

 flowers, cuttings Nitrogen  chop up any long woody stems

 apply in thin layers; good source for trace

 seaweed and kelp Nitrogen
minerals

 only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle

 wood ash Carbon
lightly

 chicken manure Nitrogen  excellent compost 'activator'

 coffee grounds Nitrogen  filters may also be included

 tea leaves Nitrogen  loose or in bags

 Newspaper Carbon  avoid using glossy paper and colored inks

 shredded paper Carbon  avoid using glossy paper and colored inks

 Cardboard Carbon  shred material to avoid matting

 corn cobs, stalks Carbon  slow to decompose; best if chopped up

 dryer lint Carbon  best if from natural fibers

 high carbon levels; add in layers to avoid

 sawdust pellets Carbon
clumping

 wood chips / pellets Carbon  high carbon levels; use sparingly

Date developed: Document No. 1

Training Needs Analysis for
Organic Agriculture Production Issued by: Page 7 of 7
GAS 11 MPAIHS
Developed by: Revision No.
MICHELLE A. MORONG