COMPOSTING ORGANIC MATERIALS TO MAKE ORGANIC SOIL AMENDMENTS

Transcription

1 COMPOSTING ORGANIC MATERIALS TO MAKE ORGANIC SOIL AMENDMENTS REFERENCE: ON-FARM COMPOSTING HANDBOOK NORTHEAST REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING SERVICE. NRAES-54. NRAES 152 RILEY-ROBB HALL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ITHACA, NY (607) COMPOSTING IS THE AEROBIC DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATERIALS BY MICROORGANISMS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS ORGANIC + O 2 + BUGS = CO 2 + H COMPOST MATERIAL RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS FOR COMPOSTING REASONABLE PREFERRED CONDITION RANGE RANGE C:N 20:1-40:1 25:1-30:1 MOISTURE % % OXYGEN > 5 % >> 5 % PARTICLE SIZE 1/8-1/2 IN. VARIABLE ph TEMPERATURE F F

2 BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF COMPOSTING BENEFIT SOIL CONDITIONING FERTILIZER VALUE SALEABLE PRODUCT IMPROVED HANDLING LOWER RISK OF POLLUTION PATHOGEN DESTRUCTION DRAWBACK TIME AND MONEY LAND USE ODOR WEATHER INTERFERENCE MARKETING NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY REDUCED TIPPING FEES FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING SPECIFIC RAW MATERIALS FOR COMPOSTING MATERIAL MANURES CROP RESIDUES SAWDUST, SHAVINGS CHIPS, AND BARK CONSIDERATIONS? HIGH N/VERY WET? USE HIGH C AMENDMENT? ODOR IF ANAEROBIC? VARIES SUBSTANTIALLY BY ANIMAL AND HANDLING? LOW N/DRY DEPENDING ON AGE? USE WITH HIGH N/WET MATERIAL? CONCERN WITH TRANSFER OF PLANT PATHOGENS IF HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE NOT REACHED? COMPETITION FOR BEDDING? VERY LOW N/VERY DRY? USE WITH VERY WET, HIGH N MATERIALS? GOOD BULKING AGENTS? GOOD MOISTURE AND ODOR ABSORPTION? CHIPS/BARK HAVE LOW SURFACE AREA AND DON'T DEGRADE (SCREENING NEEDED)? BEWARE OF TREATED WOOD

3 LEAVES? MODERATE N/DRY? DEGRADE BETTER IF SHREDDED? OFTEN CONTAIN FOREIGN OBJECTS IF COLLECTED FROM STREETS? SEASONAL AVAILABILITY GRASS CLIPPINGS PAPER/PAPERBOARD? MODERATE N/USUALLY WET? FINELY DIVIDED, POOR BULKING? ODOR POTENTIAL? SOMETIMES A HANDLING PROBLEM? VERY HIGH C/VERY DRY? USE WITH WETTEST MATERIALS? AVOID COLORED INKS GLOSSY PAPER? POOR STRUCTURE = POOR BULKING? STAPLES/GLUE IN CARDBOARD? MESSY? MAY BE DIVERTED BY RECYCLING FOOD PROCESSING? MODERATE N/VARIABLE WASTE MOISTURE? MAY BE PAID TO COMPOST? ODOR POTENTIAL? VERMIN ATTRACTION (FLIES, RODENTS)? SOME POORLY DEGRADABLE MATERIAL SLAUGHTERHOUSE OR FISH PROCESSING WASTE AQUATIC WEEDS PAPERMILL SLUDGE? HIGH N/VERY WET? MAY BE PAID TO COMPOST? HIGH ODOR/VERMIN ATTRACTION? RESTRICTIVEREGULATIONS? DIRECT APPLICATION FAVORED? MODERATE N/VERY WET? SOURCE OF MINOR NUTRIENTS? TRASH IN BEACH CLEANINGS? MODERATE ODOR POTENTIAL? MODERATE N/MODERATE MOISTURE

4 ? MAY BE PAID TOCOMPOST? POTENTIAL ODOR WITHOUT BULKING? POSSIBLE ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE SLUDGE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE? HIGH N/VARIABLE MOISTURE? SOURCE OF P? ODOR, PATHOGENS, METALS? HIGHLY REGULATED? USE A LITTLE WITH ANY MATERIAL AND LOT MUST BE TREATED AS SLUDGE? MODERATE N/DRY? CONTAINS >50 % PAPER? ODOR POTENTIAL? INERTS (GLASS, METAL, PLASTIC)? SOME METALS COMPOSTING RECIPES 1. QUALITATIVE PROCEDURE - ADD WATER OR DRY AMENDMENT UNTIL THE PILE "LOOKS AND FEELS RIGHT" - OK WITH EXPERIENCE AND CONSISTENT MATERIALS - BETTER TO ANALYZE AND USE FORMULAS 2. SIMPLE FORMULA FOR TWO INGREDIENTS - A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN MOISTURE AND C:N - FOR WET MATERIALS MIX BASED ON MOISTURE - FOR DRY MATERIALS MIX BASED ON C:N EXAMPLE FOR POULTRY MANURE AND SAWDUST: SYMBOLS EXAMPLE a = POUNDS OF INGREDIENT a PER POUND OF b:? M = DESIRED COMPOST MOISTURE CONTENT 50 % m a = MOISTURE CONTENT OF

5 INGREDIENT a (SAWDUST) 25 % m b = MOISTURE CONTENT OF INGREDIENT b (MANURE) 70 % R = DESIRED C:N OF COMPOST 25:1 R a = C:N OF INGREDIENT a 500:1 R b = C:N OF INGREDIENT b 10:1 N a = % N OF INGREDIENT a 0.11 N b = % N OF INGREDIENT b 6.00 MOISTURE CONTENT BALANCE a= (m b -M) / (M-m a ) = ( ) / ( ) = 0.2 /0.25 = 0.80 LB. SAWDUST / LB. MANURE C:N BALANCE a = (N b /N a ) x (R-R b )/(R a -R) x (1-m b )/(1-m a ) = (6.00/0.11) x (25-10)/(500-25) x (1-0.7)/1-0.25) = 54.5 x x 0.4 = 0.70 LB. SAWDUST / LB. MANURE CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING COMPOSTS I. MATURITY A. FRESH MATERIALS HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF ORGANIC ACIDS B. HIGH C:N CAUSES PLANT N DEFICIENCY C. EVALUATE MATURITY 1. O 2 CONTENT WITHIN PILE

6 2. RE-HEATING POTENTIAL OF MATERIAL 3. PRESENCE OF NITRATE 4. TIME II. USE IN GARDENS OR FIELDS A. USE ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST 1. ANALYZE FINISHED PRODUCT 2. MAY NEED TO SUPPLY OTHER NUTRIENTS OR LIME B. COMPOST MAY HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT NUTRIENT PROGRAM 1. FRACTION OF TOTAL NUTRIENT ARE AVAILABLE 2. CROP AND SOIL DEPENDENT 3. DON'T EXCEED 50 TON/A (DRY BASIS) C. APPLICATION METHOD 1. BROADCAST PRE-PLANT WITH STANDARD MANURE SPREADER 2. TOPDRESS LIGHTER RATES 3. FRONT-END LOADER AND GRADER LESS ACCURATE III. USE AS CONTAINER OR POTTING MEDIA A. QUALITY CRITICAL 1. PARTICLE SIZE, ph, SOLUBLE SALTS B. EXAMPLE POTTING MIX 1. LIMIT TO % COMPOST BY VOLUME 2. MIX EQUAL PARTS BY VOLUME WITH PEAT MOSS, VERMICULITE OR PERLITE FOR VEG. TRANSPLANTS 3. MIX EQUAL PARTS BY VOLUME WITH COARSE SAND AND PEAT MOSS FOR WOODY ORNAMENTALS C. NUTRIENTS 1. AVOID FERTILIZATION FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS 2. TRACE ELEMENTS UNNECESSARY

7 OVERVIEW OF WINDROW COMPOSTING I. FOUR COMPOSTING METHODS A. PASSIVE 1. SIMPLE STACKING 2. MINIMAL MANAGEMENT B. AERATED PILE 1. FORCED OR NATURAL AIR 2. NO TURNING C. IN-VESSEL 1. CONFINED 2. BINS, SILOS, ROTATING DRUMS 3. HIGH MANAGEMENT D. WINDROW => LONG, NARROW PILES THAT ARE TURNED REGULARLY II. WINDROW CONSTRUCTION A. SIZE 1. THREE TO NINE FT. HIGH - LOW FOR DENSE MATERIAL, HIGH FOR FLUFFY MATERIAL TO 20 FT. WIDE - DEPENDS ON TURNING EQUIP. B. AERATION 1. AERATE NATURALLY 2. MIX IS CRITICAL C. TURNING EQUIPMENT 1. FRONT-END LOADER - EXCHANGE INTERIOR WITH EXTERIOR MATERIAL - AVOID DRIVING ON PILE - AVOID MIXING SOIL - TURNS CU. YD./HR. - IRREGULAR PILE 2. WINDROW TURNER - EXPENSIVE - MAY REQUIRE > 80 HP TRACTOR WITH CREEPER GEAR - CONVERT OLD POTATO DIGGER OR ROCK PICKER - HIGH MAINTENANCE - NEAT PILE

8 3. MANAGEMENT - TURN REGULARLY - MONITOR O 2, TEMP., MOISTURE - FREQUENCY OF TURNING DEPENDS ON WINDROW AGE AND MATERIAL - ODOR, LOW TEMP. ARE SIGNALS - FLIES => TURN TO BREAK REPRO. - MAY HAVE TO COMBINE PILES