Date post: | 18-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Entertainment & Humor |
Upload: | macadamiasociety |
View: | 246 times |
Download: | 2 times |
composting on a farm scale
STUART LARSSON
MALLANGANEE NSW
THE NUT RUSH
What is Compost
Quality Inputs
How do we make Compost
Standards for Quality Compost
How do we Use Compost
Additives to Compost
Identifying Soil Requirements
Reference Material
Compost is a great way to add organic matter and
nutrients in an available form of biology to your
soils
Quality inputs are the key to success
A great way of turning farm waste into value
Many products that may claim to be are not
effective
Bad compost can have harmful side effects e.g.
poorly composted organic material will take
nitrogen from your plants and may encourage
pathogenic organisms
• Hay as a carbon source from pastures
• Chicken Litter, feedlot manure, Pig Manure
• Ground Timber, Tea tree Mulch (Aged)
• Various saw dusts (Aged)
• Crops grown for green material
• Nut Husk
• Clays 5%
• Water – dam / lagoon
• Biology manufactured as compost is reapplied as inoculants
Use materials close by and cheap (bare in mind the quality
because “rubbish in results in rubbish out”)
Assess the weight or Cubic Meter.
Carbon 25:1(30:1)Nitrogen Ratio
High N38%,Woody31%,Green31%
Build windrow or Pile 1.5metres high at minimum
Build Compost windrows directly down the slope of 2%>5%
Mix ingredients dry and thoroughly
Add water (good quality)to 50%(hand squeeze)
Turn pile to get even moisture - most inputs are hydrophobic.
Temperature must reach 70degrees C for 6 Days
Turn and water as needed to control temperature
CO2 levels kept below 10%
Turning replaces the CO2 to keep the process aerobic
After this period it will stabilize to around 52degrees C , Final temp will be late 40 degrees C
It takes 56 days to make mature compost but have a product stable 100 Days
Moisture content on completion should 30% to 40%
Compost Pad
ROW
NUMBER 21A09
Product
BROILER
CHICKEN LIME
BIOPHO
S/APATI
TE SAWDUST
GROUND
TIMBER
TEA TREE
MULCH OTHER HAY
CM3 Tn / Mtr Tonnes Tonnes CM3 Tn / Mtr
CUBIC
MTR
Tonne /
MTR CM3
Tn /
MTR Bales
Tonne /
Bale Bales
Tonne /
Bales
Volume 0.00 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.00 0.50 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.20 78.00 0.15 Tonnes Water
Tonnes
Wet Weight Basis 44.50 0.00 0.00 31.75 0.00 20.20 0.00 11.70 108.15 8.80
% Water Weight % Water Weight % Water Weight % Water Weight % Water Weight % Water Weight
Water % Basis 10.00 44.50 10.00 31.75 10.00 0.00 10.00 20.20 10.00 0.00 10.00 11.70
Dry
Weight
40.05 0.00 28.58 0.00 18.18 0.00 10.53 97.34
%C Weight %C Weight %C Weight %C Weight %C Weight %C Weight %c Weight
% Carbon 38.00 40.05 0.00 39.00 28.58 32.17 0.00 39.00 18.18 65.00 0.00 40.00 10.53 Total C
Weight Carbon 15.22 0.00 0.00 11.14 0.00 7.09 0.00 4.21 37.67
%N Weight %N Weight %N Weight %N Weight %N Weight %N Weight %N Weight
% Nitrogen 2.00 40.05 0.00 0.14 28.58 0.34 0.00 0.14 18.18 0.89 0.00 1.20 10.53 Total N
Weight Nitrogen 0.80 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.13 0.99
C/N 37.94
Tonne of Water to add for 50% of total 88.54
Total weight of compost at start. (50% water) 194.67
loss 33.22% 130.00
25% 40% 35%
Ratio Mixes
Hi N Woody Green Total
41% 29% 29% 100%
1. Consolidation : When raw materials
(feedstock) are mixed with water (field
capacity)and formed into a windrow
2. Active stage: When core temperature is
maintained between 50 and 70 degrees C
3. Curing Stage : When the core temperature
drops and nutrients are released in the
inorganic form
Belt or chain spreaders
Rates depend on soil condition and the need of repair. (See SOFT Soil Report Document)
You cannot overdo the application - I would as a general rule advise 2.5mt/ha. Broad acre or 20kg/tree/year
If major elements are lacking this may need
some adjustment.
Phosphorous can be added into the process a,
SOFTphos (13%Phosphorous Calcium Ore)
Biochar at 10% inclusion.
Calcium as lime can be added not at high
rates eg 150kg/Ha.
Potassium and trace elements added at the
curing stage.
There is an Australian standard AS445-1999
Microscope inspection for biological levels is recommended
Soil Food web in Lismore do proper analytical work
Quality compost on completion will have an earthy smell similar to the
forest floor.
Any pungent odor will indicate not composted completely or maybe
something in the raw materials that kills biology.
A quality compost will be broken do to be friable but may still resemble
some ingredients such as wood particles
In a mature compost microbes have converted readily available organic
matter into humic acids and microbial cells.
In contrast immature compost may contain partially broken down
chemicals which may be toxic (including ammonia N) and high
microbial activity inducing nutrient draw down(eg Raw Manure)
Australian Standard Website
www.standards.com.au (see standard AS445-1999)
Composting by K Handreck.CSIRO 1978
No Garbage by A.Gilbert,Lothian publishers
1992
www.soilfoodweb.com/systems/compost,orw
ww.oldgrowth.org/compost
™