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TVL – AFA - ORGANIC

AGRICULTURE
Quarter 2 – Module 6 :

COMPOST AND HARVEST

FERTILIZER
TLE – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 6: Compost and Harvest Fertilizer
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work
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materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not
represent nor claim ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones Undersecretary:
Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Rosie Baldelovar, Analiza Pampora

Editors: Rosemarie Elum, Jonathan Bayaton
Reviewers: Rosemarie Elum,
Typesetter: Aisa C. Ibero
Layout Artist: Aisa C. Ibero, Reynald Manzanu
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V Rosela R. Abiera
Fay C. Luarez, TM, Ed.D., Ph.D. Maricel S. Rasid
Adolf P. Aguilar Elmar L. Cabrera
Nilita R. Ragay, Ed.D.
Antonio B. Baguio,Ed.D.

Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education –Region VII Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Office Address: Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tele #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
E-mail Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
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TVL
Quarter 2 – Module 6:
Compost and Harvest Fertilizer
(Monitor compost based on PNS indications of fully

decomposed fertilizer)
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the TVL-Organic Agriculture 11 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM)

Module on Compost and Harvest Fertilizer!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators

both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in
helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while
overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the TVL-Organic Agriculture 11 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM)
Module on Compost and Harvest Fertilizer!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to
Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.
What I This part includes an activity that aims to
Know check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this

module.

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 What’
s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link
the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s
New In this portion, the new lesson will be
introduced to you in various ways; a story, a
song, a poem, a problem opener, an activity
or a situation.
What
is It This section provides a brief discussion of
the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.
What’s
More This comprises activities for independent
practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
What I Have
Learned This includes questions or blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.
What I Can
Do This section provides an activity which will
help you transfer your new knowledge or
skill into real life situations or concerns.

This is a task which aims to evaluate your

Assessment level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

In this portion, another activity will be given

Additional Activities to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of
the lesson learned.
Answer Key
This contains answers to all activities in the
module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of
the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.

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 2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you master the nature of Organic Agriculture. The scope of this module permits it

What I Need to Know

to be used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the
diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the
standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be
changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. monitor compost based on PNS indications of fully decomposed fertilizer;

2. demonstrate the proper steps in harvesting compost;
3. determine the steps in compost extractions using calibrated meter o pH
paper.

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 What I Know

A. MULTIPLE CHOICES
Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the correct answers in your notebook.
Let us determine how much you already know about compost materials.

1. The following are indicators to be monitored during the composting process,

EXCEPT:
a. Compost moisture
b. Compost temperature
c. Compost pile
d. Compost pH
2. How many percent is considered the ideal moisture content during composting?
a. 20-40%
b. 40-60%
c. 60-80%
d. 80-90%
3. A compost indicator that refers to hotness and the time it remains hot.
a. Temperature
b. Moisture
c. Extractions
d. pH
4. Why is compost worth measuring?
a. Compost microorganisms operate best under neutral to acidic conditions.
b. Acidic conditions are favorable for the growth of fungi and the breakdown
of lignin and cellulose.
c. As composting proceeds, the organic acids become neutralized.
d. All of the above
5. What tool is used in measuring pH in a compost extract?
a. Calibrated meter
b. pH paper
c. Compost thermometer
d. None of the above

II. True of False

Direction: Write True if the statement is correct; False if it is incorrect.
_______ 1. A well-constructed compost system should not produce offensive odors
_______ 2. At lower moisture levels, microbial activity is limited.
_______ 3. At higher levels, the process is likely to become anaerobic and
foulsmelling.
_______ 4. Temperature is one of the key indicators in composting
_______ 5. Compost is ready to be harvested when the finished product is a rich
dark brown color, smells like earth, and crumbles in hand.

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Lesson

COMPOST AND
2 HARVEST FERTILIZER
In this module, you will be learning the proper ways of composting and the
general guidelines and methods of composting. Activities found in this module are
intended for your learning. Completion of weekly tasks is encouraged and advised.
Be ready and prepared for a fun-filled learning. Enjoy!

What’s In

1. Why is controlling and monitoring compost necessary?

2. Give some indicators in monitoring compost?
3. How do you monitor compost?

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that

will help you in guiding the learners.

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 What’s New

Monitoring Compost Piles

Monitoring compost piles is done for several reasons. Monitoring provides

the composter with insight into activity in the compost pile, and this information in
turn guides management choices regarding the specific piles you are monitoring, as
well as how you make and manage compost on a going basis. Monitoring provides
you with a feedback loop for maintaining optimal composting conditions and
producing a quality product.

Additionally, pile monitoring is a requirement for many composters who

operate within a regulatory framework, such as a solid waste permit or the organic
standards.

What is It

Monitor compost based on PNS indications of fully decomposed fertilizer

Compost Monitoring
Monitoring and controlling the moisture content, oxygen level, and
temperature of the composting process is also another important issue to have
good quality and large quantity compost within the scheduled time desired.

Monitoring the Composting Process

As composting proceeds, several changes occur in its physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics. Monitoring some of these variables will help you to assess
the status of your compost and to compare the progress of systems with different
initial conditions or ingredients.

a. Monitoring Compost Moisture

Composting proceeds best at a moisture content of 40-60% by weight. At
lower moisture levels, microbial activity is limited. At higher levels, the process is
likely to become anaerobic and foul-smelling.

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b. Monitoring Compost Temperature
Temperature is one of the key indicators in composting. Is the system
heating up? How hot does it get? How long does it remain hot? How does mixing
affect the temperature profile?

c. Monitoring Compost pH
Why is compost pH worth measuring? Compost microorganisms operate best
under neutral to acidic conditions, with pH in the range of 5.5 to 8. During the
initial stages of decomposition, organic acids are formed. The acidic conditions are
favorable for the growth of fungi and breakdown of lignin and cellulose. As
composting proceeds, the organic acids become neutralized, and mature compost
generally has a pH between 6 and 8.

d. Soil Test Kit

Test kits for analysis of soil pH can be used without modification for
compost samples. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

e. pH Paper
If your compost is moist but not muddy, you can insert a pH indicator strip
into the compost, let it sit for a few minutes to soak up water, then read the pH
using color comparison.

f. Compost Extractions
Using a calibrated meter or pH paper, you can measure pH in a compost
extract made by mixing compost with distilled water. It is important to be
consistent in the ratio of compost to water and to account for the initial moisture
content of the compost, but there is no universally accepted protocol specifying
these procedures.

One approach is to read the pH in oven-dried samples that have been reconstituted
with distilled water.

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 1. Spread compost in a thin layer in a pan, and dry for 24 hours in a 105110°C
oven.
2. Weigh or measure 5 g samples of oven-dried compost into small containers.
3. Add 25 ml of distilled water to each sample.
4. Mix thoroughly for 5 seconds then let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Read the pH with a calibrated meter or with pH paper and record as compost
pH in water, or pH.

g. Monitoring Compost Odors

A well-constructed compost system should not produce offensive odors,
although it will not be odor-free.

h. Observing Compost Invertebrates

In outdoor compost piles, a wide range of invertebrates take part in the
decomposition of organic matter. Try monitoring invertebrate life in the pile
throughout the composting process. How long is it before you locate the first
invertebrates? What happens to them when the pile heats up? Do you find different
organisms later on, after the pile cools down?

i. Observing Compost Microorganisms

Observe the microbial communities in your compost for several weeks or
months as the compost heats up and then later returns to ambient temperature.

What’s More

Instruction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct, if you find it incorrect, identify
and underline what makes it incorrect and write the correct answer on the space
provided before the number.

_________1. Monitoring and controlling the moisture content, oxygen level and
temperature of the composting process is an important issue to have poor quality
and large quantity compost within scheduled time desired. _________2. It is
important to be consistent in the ratio of compost to water and to
account for the initial moisture content of the compost.
_________3. Compost microorganisms operate best under neutral to acidic
conditions, with pH's in the range of 2.4 to 5.
_________4. Temperature is one of the key indicators in composting.
_________5. At higher moisture levels, microbial activity is limited.
_________6. A well-constructed compost system does not produce offensive odors.
_________7. It is difficult to directly measure the mass of the substrate once the
composting process has started.
_________8. During the final stages of decomposition, organic acids are formed.
_________9. As composting proceeds, the organic acids become neutralized.

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_________10. As composting proceeds, several changes occur in its physical,
chemical, and biological characteristics.

What I Have Learned

1. Monitoring and controlling the moisture content, oxygen level, and temperature
of the composting process is also another important issue to have good quality
and large quantity compost within the scheduled time desired.
2. The following are several compost monitoring indicators:
 Composting process
 Compost moisture
 Compost temperature
 Compost pH
 Compost extraction
 Compost odors
 Compost invertebrates
 Compost microorganisms
3. Compost is ready to be harvested when the finished product is a rich dark brown
color, smells like earth, and crumbles in hand.
4. Finished compost can be used both outdoors and indoors as a natural fertilizer
for plants.
5. Composting proceeds best at a moisture content of 40-60% by weight.
6. Temperature is one of the key indicators in composting.
7. Compost microorganisms operate best under neutral to acidic conditions, with
pH in the range of 5.5 to 8.

What I Can Do

Instruction: Harvest your compost using appropriate materials, tools, and

equipment. Do not forget to practice good working and safety habits while doing the

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harvesting activity. Take a photo of the step-by-step process of the activity like the
ones below and submit to the teacher.

Step 1. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (Gloves, mask, boots, jacket, hat, and
masks). Always practice good working and safety habits.

Step 2. Choose appropriate harvesting tools, materials, and equipment (sack,

shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, strainer, etc.,).

Step 3. Remove the top portion of the pile.

Step 4. Collect the compost using rake and shovel or spade.

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Step 5. Use a strainer and harvest the remaining material.

Step 6. Put your harvested finished product inside the clean sacks for storing.

Step 7. Once you have harvested the finished compost from below, you can then
shovel the contents back into the pile.

Step 8. Start adding new material on top.

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 Performance Criteria Checklist in Harvesting Compost

Direction: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Do
this in a separate sheet and submit to the teacher.
1. When is compost ready to be harvested?
a. When the finished product is a rich dark brown color.
b. When the pile is still warm.
c. There are still lots of large lumps in the pile.
d. All of the above
2. How many percent is considered the ideal moisture content during composting?
a. 20-40%
b. 40-60%
c. 60-80%
d. 80-90%
3. What tool is used in measuring pH in a compost extract?
a. Calibrated meter
b. pH paper
c. Compost thermometer
d. None of the above
4. How much pH range is best for compost microorganisms to operate under
neutral to acidic conditions?
a. 2.4 to 4
b. 3.5 - 6

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 c. 4.4 - 7
d. 5.5 - 8

5. What happened during the initial stage of decomposition?

a. Organic acids are formed
b. Microbial activity is limited
c. Organic acids become neutralized
d. Compost smells foul.
6. The following are indicators to be monitored during the composting process,
EXCEPT:
a. Compost moisture
b. Compost temperature
c. Compos pile
d. Compost pH

7. Why is compost worth measuring?

a. Compost microorganisms operate best under neutral to acidic
conditions.
b. Acidic conditions are favorable for the growth of fungi and the
breakdown of lignin and cellulose.
c. As composting proceeds, the organic acids become neutralized.
d. All of the above
8. A compost indicator in monitoring compost that refers to hotness and the time it
remains hot.
a. Temperature
b. Moisture
c. Extractions
d. pH
9. What is the ideal pH content of a mature compost?
a. 2-4
b. 4-6
c. 6-8
d. 8-10
10. An indicator in compost monitoring wherein several changes occur and
monitoring will help assess the status of compost.
a. Compost process
b. Compost temperature
c. Compost pH
d. Compost extraction

Additional Activities

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Direction: Answer the following questions. Write your answers in a separate sheet
and submit to the teacher.
1. Give the importance of monitoring compost.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. How do you monitor compost? You may cite personal experiences in compost
monitoring.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Rubrics
Criteria Score

Ideas 5 points

Content 10 points

Organization 5 points

Total 20 points

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References

Content:
Anacleto B. Coronel, MS., DVM. A primeron Animal Husbandry Technology and
Livelihood Education III .Agriculture and Fishery. Animal Production. SEDP
SERIES

Competency Based-Learning Material

Animal Production NC II Module 1-6 Deciding to Raise Poultry pages 1-14

http://lessismore.org/materials/72-benefits-of-composting/

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wmp/SolidWaste/Documents/ANR%20Co
mpost%20Pile%20Monitoring%20Why%20and%20How.pdf

Images: https://poultrymanual.com/poultry-philippines-chicken-breeds

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Hubbard+chicken&FORM=HDRSC2

http://www.filipinopoultry.com/index.php/2016/05/23/chicken-breeds-
inphilippines/

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Houses%20for%20Chicks%2FBrooders%
20in%20the%20philippines&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-
1&pq=houses%20for%20chicks%2Fbrooders%20in%20the%20philippines&sc
=0-45&sk=&cvid=51701CC9666441AEA2D030BE12BFF6A3.

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