| Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manures
Manures are plant and
animal wastes that are used as sources of plant nutrients. They
release nutrients after their decomposition. The art of collecting and
using wastes from animal, human and vegetable sources for improving
crop productivity is as old as agriculture. Manures are the organic
materials derived from animal, human and plant residues which contain
plant nutrients in complex organic forms. Naturally occurring or
synthetic chemicals containing plant nutrients are called fertilizers.
Manures with low nutrient, content per unit quantity have longer
residual effect besides improving soil physical properties compared to
fertilizer with high nutrient content. Major sources of manures are:
Manures can also be grouped,
into bulky organic manures and concentrated organic manures based on
concentration of the nutrients.
Bulky organic manures
Bulky organic manures
contain small percentage of nutrients and they are applied in large
quantities. Farmyard manure (FYM), compost and green-manure are the
most important and widely used bulky organic manures. Use of bulky
organic manures has several advantages:
Farmyard manure
Farmyard manure
refers to the decomposed mixture of dung and urine of farm animals
along with litter and left over material from roughages or fodder fed
to the cattle. On an average well decomposed farmyard manure contains
0.5 per cent N, 0.2 per cent P2O5and .0.5 per cent K2O.The present
method of preparing farmyard manure by the farmers is defective. Urine,
which is wasted, contains one per cent nitrogen and 1.35 per cent
potassium. Nitrogen present in urine is mostly in the form of urea
which is subjected to volatilization losses. Even during storage,
nutrients are lost due to leaching and volatilization. However, it is
practically impossible to avoid losses altogether, but can be reduced
by following improved method of preparation of farmyard manure.
Trenches of size 6 m to 7.5 m length, 1.5 m to 2.0 m width and 1.0 m
deep are dug.
All available litter and refuse
is mixed with soil and spread in the shed so as to absorb urine. The
next morning, urine soaked refuse along with dung is collected and
placed in the trench. A section of the trench from one end should be
taken up for filling with daily collection. When the section is filled
up to a height of 45 cm to 60 cm above the ground level, the top of the
heap is made into a dome and plastered with cow dung earth slurry. The
process is continued and when the first trench is completely filled,
second trench is prepared.
The manure becomes
ready for use in about four to five months after plastering. If urine
is not collected in the bedding, it can be collected along with
washings of the cattle shed in a cemented pit from which it is later
added to the farmyard manure pit. Chemical preservatives can also be
used to reduce losses and enrich farmyard manure. The commonly used
chemicals are gypsum and superphosphate. Gypsum is spread in the cattle
shed which absorbs urine and prevents volatilization loss of urea
present in the urine and also adds calcium and sulphur. Superphosphate
also acts similarly in reducing losses and also increases phosphorus
content.
Partially rotten farmyard
manure has to be applied three to four weeks before sowing while well
rotten manure can be applied immediately before sowing. Generally 10 to
20 t/ha is applied, but more than 20 t/ha is applied to fodder grasses
and vegetables. In such cases farmyard manure should be applied at
least 15 days in advance to avoid immobilization of nitrogen. The
existing practice of leaving manure in small heaps scattered in the
field for a very long period leads toloss of nutrients. These losses
can be reduced by spreading the manure and incorporating by ploughing
immediately after application.
Vegetable crops like
potato, tomato, sweet-potato, carrot, raddish, onion etc., respond well
to the farmyard manure. The other responsive crops are sugarcane,
rice, napier grass and orchard crops like oranges, banana, mango and
plantation crop like coconut.
The entire amount of
nutrients present in farmyard manure is not available immediately.
About 30 per cent of nitrogen, 60 to 70 per cent of phosphorus and 70
per cent of potassium are available to the first crop.
Sheep and Goat Manure
The droppings of sheep and
goats contain higher nutrients than farmyard manure and compost. On an
average, the manure contains 3 per cent N, 1 per cent P2O5 and 2 per
cent K2O.It is applied to the field in two ways. The sweeping of sheep
or goat sheds are placed in pits for decomposition and it is applied
later to the field. The nutrients present in the urine are wasted in
this method. The second method is sheep penning, wherein sheep and
goats are kept overnight in the field and urine and fecal matter added
to the soil is incorporated to a shallow depth by working blade harrow
or cultivator or cultivator.
Poultry Manure
The excreta of birds
ferment very quickly. If left exposed, 50 percent of its nitrogen is
lost within 30 days. Poultry manure contains higher nitrogen and
phosphorus compared to other bulky organic manures. The average nutrient
content is 3.03 per cent N; 2.63 per cent P2O5 and 1.4 per cent K2O.
Concentrated organic manures
Concentrated organic
manures have higher nutrient content than bulky organic manure. The
important concentrated organic manures are oilcakes, blood meal, fish
manure etc. These are also known as organic nitrogen fertilizer. Before
their organic nitrogen is used by the crops, it is converted through
bacterial action into readily usable ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate
nitrogen. These organic fertilizers are, therefore, relatively slow
acting, but they supply available nitrogen for a longer period.
Oil cakes
After oil is
extracted from oilseeds, the remaining solid portion is dried as cake
which can, be used as manure. The oil cakes are of two types:
Both edible and
non-edible oil cakes can be used as manures. However, edible oil cakes
are fed to cattle and non-edible oil cakes are used as manures
especially for horticultural crops. Nutrients present in oil cakes,
after mineralization, are made available to crops 7 to 10 days after
application. Oilcakes need to be well powdered before application for
even distribution and quicker decomposition.
The average nutrient content of different oil-cakes is presented in the following table.
Average nutrient content of oil cakes
Other Concentrated Organic Manures
Blood meal when dried
and powdered can be used as manure. The meat of dead animals is dried
and converted into meat meal which is a good source of nitrogen.
Average nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures
is given as follows.
Average nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures
Source
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques Manures
Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques Dasakavya
| Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques | ||||||||||||||||||
Dasakavya
Dasagavya, is an organic preparation made
from ten products in the form of panchagavya and certain plant
extracts. “Gavya” is th term given to cow’s products comprising of cow
dung, cow urine, cow’s milk, curd and ghee, which have miraculous
effects on plant growth when suitably mixed.
The Horticultural research station, Ooty has identified certain plant species for the temperate regions, viz., Artemisia nilagirica, Leucas aspera, Lantana camera, Datura metal and Phytolacca dulcamera.
These are commonly available weed plants in the district, found
abundantly along roadsides and in wastelands. The plants recommended
for the tropical areas are neem (Azadirachta indica), erukam (Calotrophis), Kolingi (Tephrosia purpurea), notchi (Vitex negundo), umathai (Datura metel), Katamanaku (Jatropha curcas), adathoda(Adathoda vasica) and pungam (Pongamia pinnata). Since management of these can be made best use of in agriculture, as effective agents against certain pests and diseases.
The plant extracts are prepared by
separately soaking the foliage in cow urine in 1:1 ratio (1 kg chopped
leaves in 1 litre cow urine) for ten days. The filtered extracts of all
the plants are then added @ 1 litre each to 5 litre of the panchagavya
solution. The mixture is kept for 25 days and stirred well, meanwhile,
to ensure thorough mixing of panchagavya and the plant extracts.
Mode of use
The Dasagavya solution is filtered
to avoid clogging of sprayer nozzles and is recommended as foliar spray
at 3 % concentration.
Soaking of seeds or dipping the roots of seedlings in 3 %
solution of dasagavya for 20 minutes before planting enhances seed
germination and root development.
Periodicity
Weekly sprays during crop growth for all vegetables and plantation crops.
Advantages
Effect of dasagavya on hill crop pests and diseases
Rose
Spraying 3 % dasagavya in rose controls thrips and powdery mildew.
Gerbera
Dasagavya as foliar spray is effective against gerbera powdery mildew.
Tea
Regular spraying of 3 % dasagavya at 15 days interval is effective against blister blight disease
Source
Selvaraj, N., B. Anitha, B. Anusha and M. Guru Saraswathi. 2007. Organic Horticulture. Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Udhagamandalam-643 001. |
Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques Panchakavya
| Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Panchakavya
Panchagavya, an organic product has the
potential to play the role of promoting growth and providing immunity
in plant system. Panchagavya consists of nine products viz. cow dung,
cow urine, milk, curd, jaggery, ghee, banana, Tender coconut and water.
When suitably mixed and used, these have miraculous effects.
Mix the above two ingredients thoroughly both in morning and evening hours and keep it for 3 days
After 3 days mix cow urine and water and keep
it for 15 days with regular mixing both in morning and evening hours.
After 15 days mix the following and panchagavya will be ready after 30
days.
All the above items can be added to a
wide mouthed mud pot, concrete tank or plastic can as per the above
order. The container should be kept open under shade. The content is to
be stirred twice a day both in morning and evening. The Panchagavya
stock solution will be ready after 30 days. (Care should be taken not
to mix buffalo products. The products of local breeds of cow is said to
have potency than exotic breeds). It should be kept in the shade and
covered with a wire mesh or plastic mosquito net to prevent houseflies
from laying eggs and the formation of maggots in the solution. If
sugarcane juice is not available add 500 g of jaggery dissolved in 3
liter of water.
Physico chemical and biological properties of Panchagavya
Physico-chemical properties of Panchagavya
revealed that they possess almost all the major nutrients, micro
nutrients and growth harmones (IAA & GA) required for crop growth.
Predominance of fermentative microorganisms like yeast and
lactobacillus might be due to the combined effect of low pH, milk
products and addition of jaggery/sugarcane juice as substrate for their
growth.
The low pH of the medium was due to the
production of organic acids by the fermentative microbes as evidenced
by the population dynamics and organic detection in GC analysis.
Lactobacillus produces various beneficial metabolites such as organic
acids, hydrogen peroxide and antibiotics, which are effective against
other pathogenic microorganisms besides its growth. GC-MS analysis
resulted in following compounds of fatty acids, alkanes, alconol and
alcohols.
Generally panchagavya is recommended for all the
crops as foliar spray at 30 % level (3 litre panchagavya in 100 litres
of water).
Spray system
3% solution was found to be most effective
compared to the higher and lower concentrations investigated. Three
litres of Panchagavya to every 100 litres of water is ideal for all
crops. The power sprayers of 10 litres capacity may need 300 ml/tank.
When sprayed with power sprayer, sediments are to be filtered and when
sprayed with hand operated sprayers, the nozzle with higher pore size
has to be used.
Flow system
The solution of Panchagavya can be mixed
with irrigation water at 50 litres per hectare either through drip
irrigation or flow irrigation
Seed/seedling treatment
3% solution of Panchagavya can be
used to soak the seeds or dip the seedlings before planting. Soaking
for 20 minutes is sufficient. Rhizomes of Turmeric, Ginger and sets of
Sugarcane can be soaked for 30 minutes before planting.
Seed storage
3% of Panchagavya solution can be used to dip the seeds before drying and storing them.
Periodicity
Time of application of Panchakavya for different crops is given as follows
Effect of Panchakavya
Leaf
Plants sprayed with Panchagavya
invariably produce bigger leaves and develop denser canopy. The
photosynthetic system is activated for enhanced biological efficiency,
enabling synthesis of maximum metabolites and photosynthates.
Stem
The trunk produces side shoots,
which are sturdy and capable of carrying maximum fruits to maturity.
Branching is comparatively high.
Roots
The rooting is profuse and dense.
Further they remain fresh for a long time. The roots spread and grow
into deeper layers were also observed. All such roots help maximum
intake of nutrients and water.
Yield
There will be yield depression
under normal circumstances, when the land is converted to organic
farming from inorganic systems of culture. The key feature of
Panchagavya is its efficacy to restore the yield level of all crops
when the land is converted from inorganic cultural system to organic
culture from the very first year. The harvest is advanced by 15 days in
all the crops.It not only enhances the shelf life of vegetables, fruits
and grains, but also improves the taste. By reducing or replacing
costly chemical inputs, Panchagavya ensures higher profit and liberates
the organic farmers from loan.
Drought Hardiness
A thin oily film is formed on the
leaves and stems, thus reducing the evaporation of water. The deep and
extensive roots developed by the plants allow to withstand long dry
periods. Both the above factors contribute to reduce the irrigation
water requirement by 30% and to ensure drought hardiness.
Panchagavya is a living elixir of
many micro organisms, bacteria, fungi, proteins, carbohydrates, fats,
amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, known and unknown growth promoting
factors micronutrients trace elements antioxidant and immunity
enhancing factors.
When taken orally by animals and human
beings, the living micro organisms in the Panchagavya stimulate the
immune system and produce lot of antibodies against the ingested
microorganisms. It acts like vaccine. This response of the body
increases the immunity of animals and humans and thus helps to prevent
illness and cures disease. It slows down the aging process and restores
youthfulness. The other factors present in Panchagavya improve
apetite, digestion and assimilation and elimination of toxins in the
body. Constipation is totally cured. Thus the animals and humans become
hale and healthy with shining hair and skin. The weight gains are
impressive.
Pigs
Panchagavya was mixed with drinking water
or feed at the rate of 10 ml – 50 ml/pig depending upon the age and
weight. The pigs became healthy and disease free. They gained weight at
a faster rate. The feed to weight conversion ratio increased
tremendously. This helped the piggery owners to reduce the feed cost
and to get very good returns due to increased weight.
Goats and Sheep
The goats and sheep became healthy
and gained more weight in a short period after having administered 10
ml to 20 ml Panchagavya per animal per day depending upon the age.
Cows
By mixing Panchagavya with animal
feed and water at the rate of 100 ml per cow per day, cows become
healthier with increased milk yield, fat content and SNF. The rate of
conception increased. The retained placenta, mastitis and foot and
mouth disease became things of the past. Now the skin of the cow is
shiny with more hair and looks more beautiful.
Instead of spraying urea on paddy straw (hay) before staking,
a few farmers sprayed the 3 percent solution of Panchagavya, layer
after layer during the staking and allowed it to ferment. The cows
preferred such hay compared to unsprayed hay stock.
Poultry
When mixed with the feed or
drinking water at the rate of 1 ml per bird per day, the birds became
disease-free and healthy. They laid bigger eggs for longer periods. In
broiler chickens the weight gain was impressive and the feed-to-weight
conversion ratio improved.
Fish
Panchagavya was applied daily with
fresh cow dung in fish ponds. It increased the growth of algae, weeds
and small worms in the pond, thus increasing the food availability to
fish. The only precaution is that fresh water must be added to the
ponds at frequent intervals. Otherwise, the growth of algae, weeds and
other organisms will compete with the fish for available soluble oxygen
in water. Alternatively, mechanical agitators can also be used to
increase the oxygen content in the water. In ten months time each fish
grew to a weight of 2 to 3 kgs. With reduced death rate of small
fingerlings and increased weight of marketable fish, the fisheries
became more profitable.
One lady with psoriasis all over
the body was under allopathic treatment for over one and a half years.
She happened to prepare Panchagavya for field use and stir the contents
with her forearm. After 15 days, the psoriasis in her fore arm got
fully cured. Following her own intuition, she smeared Panchagavya all
over the body and to everyone's surprise; the psoriasis disappeared in
21 days.
Dosage
50 ml of filtered Panchagavya mixed
with 200 ml of water, tender coconut water or fruit juice and taken
orally in empty stomach in the morning. This is for all type of
diseases.
AIDS/HIV
AIDS/HIV patients regained lost
appetite and digestion and put on weight. They slept better. Their
fever, cough, diarrhoea and skin lesions disappeared within a month's
treatment. Most of them are now working in the fields and others are
pursuing their own professions. Even though the blood tests are still
positive, they exhibit no symptoms of AIDS and lead a normal healthy
life.
Psoriasis
In Psoriasis, it is very effective
and the lesions disappear within six months. In eczema and other
allergic skin disorders, healing is even faster.
Neurological disorders
When given to patients suffering
from neurological disorders like convulsions and Parkinsonism, it
helped to reduce the frequency of the attacks in convulsions and
reduced shaking of the hands and head in Parkinsonism. They were able
to reduce the regular medicines.
Diabetes mellitus
When 50 ml of filtered Panchagavya
per day was taken early in the morning on an empty stomach, it reduced
the blood sugar and enabled the patients to reduce the dose of anti
diabetic drugs. Complaints like general weakness, indigestion,
constipation and burning sensation in the feet disappeared within a
month. They became active and healthy.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
It can be given in addition to the
regular anti-TB drugs. Fever disappeared within a week and cough was
controlled within two weeks. Appetite improved and the patients gained
body weight. The duration of anti-TB treatment was reduced by one
month.
Arthritis
It completely relieves the joint
pain, swelling and stiffness. Arthritis is cured within two months. Now
even healthy people take it to become more healthy and energetic.
Source
Selvaraj, N., B. Anitha, B. Anusha and M. Guru Saraswathi. 2007. Organic Horticulture. Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Udhagamandalam-643 001. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques Green Manure
Organic Farming :: Organic Inputs and Techniques
Green Manure
Green undecomposed
material used as manure is called green manure. It is obtained in two
ways: by growing green manure crops or by collecting green leaf (along
with twigs) from plants grown in wastelands, field bunds and forest.
Green manuring is growing in the field plants usually belonging to
leguminous family and incorporating into the soil after sufficient
growth. The plants that are grown for green manure known as green
manure crops. The most important green manure crops are sunnhemp,
dhaincha, pillipesara,clusterbeans and Sesbania rostrata.
Biomass production and N accumulation of green manure crops
| Crop | Age (Days) | Dry matter (t/ha) | N accumulated |
| Sesbania aculeata | 60 | 23.2 | 133 |
| Sunnhemp | 60 | 30.6 | 134 |
| Cow pea | 60 | 23.2 | 74 |
| Pillipesara | 60 | 25.0 | 102 |
| Cluster bean | 50 | 3.2 | 91 |
| Sesbania rostrata | 50 | 5.0 | 96 |
Nutrient content of green manure crops
| Plant | Scientific name | Nutrient content (%) on air dry basis | ||
| N | P2O5 | K | ||
| Sunhemp | Crotalaria juncea | 2.30 | 0.50 | 1.80 |
| Dhaincha | Sesbania aculeata | 3.50 | 0.60 | 1.20 |
| Sesbania | Sesbania speciosa | 2.71 | 0.53 | 2.21 |
Sesbania rostrata is a
stem nodulating green manure crop which is a native of West Africa. As
it is a short-day plant and sensitive to photoperiod, the length of
vegetative period is short when sown in August or September. A mutant
(TSR-l) developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay is
insensitive to photoperiod, tolerant to salinity and waterlogged
condition. Growth and nitrogen fixation is higher with TSR-l compared
to the existing strains.
Advantages
-
Improves soil structure
-
Increases water holding capacity and
-
Decreases soil loss by erosion
Application of green leaves and
twigs of trees, shrubs and herbs collected from elsewhere is known as
green leaf manuring. Forest tree leaves are the main sources for green
leaf manure. Plants growing in wastelands, field bunds etc., are
another source of green leaf manure. The important plant species useful
for green leaf manure are neem, mahua, wild indigo, Glyricidia,
Karanji (Pongamia glabra) calotropis, avise(Sesbania grandiflora), subabul and other shrubs.
Nutrient content of green leaf manure
| Plant | Scientific name | Nutrient content (%) on air dry basis | ||
| N | P2O5 | K | ||
| Gliricidia | Gliricidia sepium | 2.76 | 0.28 | 4.60 |
| Pongania | Pongamia glabra | 3.31 | 0.44 | 2.39 |
| Neem | Azadirachta indica | 2.83 | 0.28 | 0.35 |
| Gulmohur | Delonix regia | 2.76 | 0.46 | 0.50 |
| Peltophorum | Peltophorum ferrugenum | 2.63 | 0.37 | 0.50 |
| Weeds | ||||
| Parthenium | Parthenium hysterophorus | 2.68 | 0.68 | 1.45 |
| Water hyacinth | Eichhornia crassipes | 3.01 | 0.90 | 0.15 |
| Trianthema | Trianthema portulacastrum | 2.64 | 0.43 | 1.30 |
| Ipomoea | Ipomoea | 2.01 | 0.33 | 0.40 |
| Calotrophis | Calotropis gigantea | 2.06 | 0.54 | 0.31 |
| Cassia | Cassia fistula | 1.60 | 0.24 | 1.20 |
Advantages
-
Green manuring improves soil structure, increases water holding capacity and decreases soil loss by erosion.
-
Growing of green manure crops in the off season reduces weed proliferation and weed growth.
-
Green manuring helps in reclamation of alkaline soils. Root knot nematodes can be controlled by green manuring.
Source
-
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/Farmerdill_1153916472_551.jpg
-
http://www.tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk/images/guar.jpg
-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/Chimanlal/ClusterBean02Guar.jpg
-
http://www.rostrata.co.uk/images/photos/rostrata_plant.jpg
-
http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/science/timage/14737ic1.jpg
-
http://www.mytho-fleurs.com/images/Fleurs_du_Vietnam/Calotropis_gigantea.jpg
-
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/ikmp/images/parthenium.gif
-
http://www.metafro.be/prelude/prelude_pic/Peltophorum_africanum2.jpg
-
http://gardendigger.com/images/toptropicals/3/3972.jpg
Organic Farming :: Compost Crop Residue Composting
| Organic Farming :: Compost | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Crop Residue Composting
Crop residues are the non-economic plant
parts that are left in the field after harvest. The harvest refuses
include straws, stubble, stover and haulms of different crops. Crop
remains are also from thrashing sheds or that are discarded during crop
processing. This includes process wastes like groundnut shell, oil
cakes, rice husks and cobs of maize, sorghum and cumbu. The greatest
potential as a biomass resource appears to be from the field residues
of sorghum, maize, soybean, cotton, sugarcane etc. In Tamil Nadu
190lakh tones of crop residues are available for use. These residues
will contribute 1.0 lakh ton of nitrogen, 0.5 lakh ton of
phosphorusand2.0 lakh tons of potassium. How ever crop residues need
composting before being used as manure.
Waste collection
Crop residues accumulated in
different locations are to be brought to compost yard. The compost yard
is located in anyone corner of the farm with accessibility via good
road. Water resource should also be available in sufficient quantity.
The crop residues that are brought to compost yard should be heaped in
one corner for further processing.
Shredding of waste materials
Particle size is one of the factors
that influence the composting. It is advisable to shred all the crop
residues that are used for composting. Shredding the waste manually is
labour intensive. Shredder machine can be employed to shred all the
crop residue biomass. Particle size of 2 to 2.5 cm is recommended for
quick composting.
Mixing of green waste and brown waste
Carbon and nitrogen ratio decides
the initiation of composting process. If C:N ratio is wide (100:1)
composting will not take place. Narrow C:N ratio of 30:1 is ideal for
composting. To get a narrow C:N ratio, carbon and nitrogen rich
material should be mixed together. Green coloured waste materials like
glyricidia leaves, parthenium, freshly harvested weeds; sesbania leaves
are rich in nitrogen, whereas brown coloured waste material like straw,
coir dust, dried leaves and dried grasses are rich in carbon. In any
composting process these carbon and nitrogen rich material is to be
mixed together to make the composting quicker rather than putting green
waste alone or brown color waste alone for composting. Animal dung is
also a good source of nitrogen. While making heap formation,
alternative layers of carbon rich material, animal dung and nitrogen
rich material are to be heaped to get a quicker result in composting.
Compost heap formation
Minimum 4 feet height should be
maintained for composting. The composting area should be elevated one
and have sufficient shade. While heap formation, all the crop residues
should be mixed together to form a heterogeneous material rather than a
single homogenous material. Alternate layers of carbon and nitrogen
rich material with intermittent layers of animal dung are essential.
After heap formation the material should be thoroughly moistened.
Bioinputs for composting
TNAU Biomineralizer consortium
contains groups of microorganisms, which accelerate the composting
process. If this inoculum is not added to the composting material,
natural microorganisms establish on the waste material on its own and
do the composting work. This process takes longtime. But if external
source of inoculums is added, the microbial activity starts earlier and
composting period will be reduced.
For one ton of crop wastes 2 kg of
TNAU Biomineralizer is recommended. This two kg Biomineralizer should
be mixed with 20 liters of water and made slurry. When the compost heap
is formed in between layers the slurry should be inoculated, so that
it mixes with the waste material thoroughly for uniform coating of
microorganism on the waste material. Cow dung slurry is also a good
source for microbial inoculum. But it carries unwanted microorganisms
also which may compete with composting organism. But when TNAU
Biomineralizer is not available, cow dung slurry is a good source
material. For one ton crop residues40 kg fresh cow dung is required.
This 40 kg fresh cow dung is mixed with 100litres of water and it
should be thoroughly poured over the waste material. Cow dung slurry
acts as nitrogen source as well as source of microbial inoculum.
Aerating the compost material
Sufficient quantity of oxygen should be
available inside the compost heap. For this external air should be
freely get in and comes out of the material. Normally to
allow the fresh air to get inside, the compost heap should be
turned upside down, once in fifteen days. In this process top layer
comes to bottom and bottom layer goes to top. This process also
activates the microbial process and compost process is hastened. In
some cases air ventilating pipe maybe inserted vertically and
horizontally, to allow the air to pass through. The wood chip that is
available as waste in wood processing industry may also be used as
bulking agent in the composting process. This bulking agent gives more
air space to the compost material.
Moisture maintenance
Throughout the composting period
60% moisture should be maintained. On any situation, compost material
should not be allowed to dry. If the material becomes dry, all the
microorganisms present in the crop residues will die and the compost
process gets affected.
Compost maturity
Volume reduction, black colour,
earthy odor, reduction in particle size are all the physical factors to
be observed for compost maturity. After satisfying with the compost
maturity index, the compost heap can be disturbed and spread on the
floor for curing. After curing for one day, the composted material is
sieved through 4 mm sieve to get uniform composted material. The
residues collected after composting has to be again composted to finish
the composting process.
Compost enrichment
The harvested compost should be heaped in a shade, preferably on a hard floor. The beneficial microorganisms like Azotobacter or Azospirillum, Pseudomonas,
Phosphobacteria (0.2%) and rock phosphate (2%) have to be
inoculated for one ton of compost. Forty per cent moisture should be
maintained for the maximum growth of inoculated microorganism. This
incubation should be allowed for 20 days for the organism to reach the
maximum population. Now the compost is called as enriched compost. The
advantage of enriched compost over normal compost is
the quality manure with higher nutrient status with high number of
beneficial microorganisms and plant growth promoting substances.
Nutritive value of Biocompost
The nutritive value of Biocompost varies from
lot to lot because of varying input materials. But in general
Biocompost contains all the macro and micro nutrients
required for crops, which is given in the following table.
Even though the quantity available is low it covers all the
requirements of the crop.
Nutrient content of biocompost prepared from different crop residues
The common manurial value of different biocompost prepared from different substrate is given below.
Benefits of Biocompost
Compost application
Organic manures are highly regarded
as good source of material to maintain soil health and increasing soil
organic carbon content. Organic manures cannot be equated with
inorganic fertilizers. But organic manures deliver all the nutrients to
the soil but with little quantity. For one hectare of land 5 tons of
enriched biocompost is recommended. It can be used as basal application
in the field before taking up planting work.
Limitation in Biocompost application
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)