MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY

MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE (MOOC) ON

ORGANIC FARMING

SUBMITTED BY:SUDHIN KUMAR

BSC COMPUTER SCIENCE

MANNAM MEMORIAL NSS COLLEGE

KONNI, PATHANAMTHITTA
ORGANIC MANURE
MAKING
ORGANIC MANURES
Organic manures are natural products used by farmers to provide food (plant nutrients) for the
crop plants. There are a number of organic manures like farmyard manure, green manures,
compost prepared from crop residues and other farm wastes, vermicompost, oil cakes, and
biological wastes – animal bones, slaughter house refuse.

Advantages
• Balances the soil ecosystem.
• Boosts plant health naturally.
• They are all natural.
• The process of decomposition requires no chemical intervention.
• It increases the water holding capacity of the soil.
• Due to increase in the biological activity, the nutrients that are in the lower
• depths are made available to the plants.

DISADVANTAGES
• Not All Products Are Created Equally
Not all products are created equally and many organic products produce inconsistent
results. Make sure you are selecting a product that is industry vetted by reviewing any
university studies or case studies.
• Nutrient Levels Are Low
The level of nutrients present in organic fertilizer is often low. In addition, the nutrients
are usually complexed in organic chemical structure; this means using organic fertilizer
may not produce the pop of colour seen with a chemical fertilizer. Using an organic
fertilizer is a process, not an event.
• DIY Compost is a Complicated Procedure
While you can produce your own compost, it’s a messy and complicated process that
often leads to an inconsistent product and end-result.
PROJECT THEME
Composting is a biological process in which microorganisms of aerobic (which require air or
oxygen for development) and anaerobic (which functions in absence of air or free oxygen)
decompose organic matter.

Conversion of organic wastes generated at household level to useful materials like manure is the
theme of the project. Kitchen wastes and garden wastes, generated on a daily basis are to be
processed and converted to compost by using appropriate methods. Depending upon
convenience and accessibility, the students may opt for processing kitchen waste. The
methodology and materials required are brown waste, kitchen waste or green waste, terracotta
bin, active microbe solution or inoculums.

Under Graduate students of Mahatma Gandhi University could take part in organic manure
making project which in turn gives a smoothing life experience and natural aesthetic pleasure. I
just love doing this project and it increased my personal knowledge about organic fertilizers and
its advantages. These will not be any perfect idea other than making compost by which the waste
generated in our household itself.

COMPOSTING PROCESS
COMPOSTING KITCHEN WASTE

1. Garden pot composting:

• Large garden pots (Cement/Terracotta) are the simplest and cheapest containers for
kitchen waste composting.
• Wash and disinfect your garden pot.
• Choose an area of the garden that is out of the way that no one will walk on.
• Dig a hole in the soil the size of the pot in the soil.
• Place the garden pot in the hole and backfill the soil around the sides of the pot.
• Fill the pot with a mix of food scraps, fall leaves and straw or sugar cane mulch.
• Mix the ingredients together and place a piece of cardboard, bowl or a pot tray on top to
cover.

2. Bio bin Composting

Add a layer of any combination of these: soil, compost, cardboard pieces, dry leaves or bioclean
(brown layer). Next layer kitchen waste (green layer) over the brown layer. Cover this with
another brown layer. Repeat this process until the compost bin is full.
3. Pipe Composting

This method, using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes placed over ground within households can
store degradable kitchen waste for a period of time to break down the waste into manure. In a
straight line, drill holes along the pipe at a distance of about 7-8 cm between each to ensure air
ventilation. Drill about 4 to 5 holes on the end cap too. Add brown matter such as crushed dry
leaves, wood chippings, coco peat etc., at the bottom and put kitchen waste above this. When we
begin the composting process. we pore in little bit of jaggery and cow dung along with two liters
of water and start filling the pipe with wet waste. Two or more PVC pipes (about 4inch diameter
& 5-6 feet height) can be temporarily erected with two feet in the ground or on a plant pot. Once
the available volume in a pipe is filled and concealed thoroughly, waste stored in pipe would
become manure in about 30-35 days which can be used as nutrients in garden
 MATERIALS USED FOR
COMPOSTING

MATERIALS USED

Location: Ground stairs of my house.

Method selected: Garden pot composting.

Kitchen waste used: Kitchen waste includes banana peels, egg shells, vegetable peels,
orange peels and appropriate amount of rice water for ensuring moisture.

Composting In column: Active microbe solution.

Brown matter used : Crushed dry leaves, wood chippings.

PREPARATION OF COMPOST POT

On 06-06-2021 evening, I took two mud garden pots cover their bottom holes using polystyrene
or card board piece and ensure no worm disturb our organic compost. Shed the brown waste in
20 cm thickness. Add kitchen waste above brown waste. Add active microbe solution as our
inoculums. Follow the direction to use (dil. the A.M solution 10 ml in 100ml water) add crushed
newspaper for maintaining carbon nitrogen ratio which is very important for our final result.
Observe the moisture content and add adequate amount of water or rice water or rice. Repeat the
above process till the pot is filled.

Note: You can either fill the pot in one day or by consecutive days. Each layer should have 20
cm width.
 OBSERVATIONS AND
DATA COLLECTIONS

OBSERVATIONS AND DATA COLLECTION

Date of mixing: (06/06/2021) Observations after 7 days.(13/06/2021)
• Colour of mixture : Brown
• Consistency\ Nature : Solid dry.
• Smell : Smell of inoculums.
• Moisture : Moist.
• Observed ants, house flies : NO (Cover thoroughly).

Observations after 14 days. (20/06/2021)

• Colour of mixture : Greyish Brown

• Consistency\ Nature : Dry and little slurry.
• Smell : No foul smell.
• Moisture : Moist (after adding some rice water)
• Observed ants, house flies : No
Observations after 21 days (27/06/2021)
• Colour of mixture : Dark brown
• Consistency\ Nature : Crush
• Smell : No
• Moisture : Dry
• Observed ants, house flies : No
ASSESSMENT OF FINAL COMPOST
I got crushed fully decomposed organic manure.

• Colour : Brown
Consistency : Soil consistency
Smell : Smell like soil.
• Moisture : Moist but
dry Observed ants\ House flies : No

Approximate weight of the compost after sieving is 2 kg.

TABULATION OF COLLECTED DATA

PROCESS OF POT FILLING

SL Date of pot filling Kitchen waste Brown waste Inoculums used

NO

1 06/06/2021 Vegetable peel = 4 Dry leaves= 800 EM solution

no’s gm

2 Banana peel = 6 Newspaper = 2 EM solution

06/06/2021 no’s no’s

3 06/06/2021 Egg shell, Orange Dry leaves EM solution

peel, Rice water

Table 1
 OBSERVATION ON THE COMPOSTING PROCESS

Sl no Data Initial After 7 After 14 After 21 Compost

collected days days days

1 Date of 06/06/2021 13/06/2021 20/06/2021 27/06/2021 02/07/2021

mixing

2 Colour Mixed Brown Grey Dark Brown

brown brown black

3 Consistency/ Dry Solid dry Slurry dry Crush Like soil

nature

4 Smell Inoculums NO NO NO Soil smell

5 Moisture Moist Moist Moist Dry Dry

Observed
6 ant/ house Yes NO NO NO NO
flies

7 Approximate 4 kg - - - 2 kg
total weight

Table - 2