COMPOSTING:THE ROTTEN TRUTH

Sabin

Saman

Rhitika

Nilisha

Prakash

Ankita

Submitted to Btech 6th term (Biotechnology)

COMPOSTING

INTRODUCTION

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as

a fertilizer and soil amendment.

At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a

heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and

waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or

months.

Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process

with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials.

Aerobic bacteria and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the

inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

KINDS

Bin composting

Tumbler composting

Sheet composting

Anaerobic composting

Vermicomposting

COMPOSTING BINS

Ready made

Homemade

Bin-less pile

WHAT YOU CAN

COMPOST

Brown composting material: Leaves , straw, paper sawdust , coffee ground and filters, nuts and shells, animal bedding mixed with manure (Manure provides food for micro-organisms which enrich the soil)

Green composting material: fruits, veggie scraps, egg shells, tea bags, tea leaves, fresh green grass clippings, garden refuse, plant trimmings.

Meat scraps

Bones

Dairy products

Pet waste

Diseased plants

Invasive weeds

Any material containing pesticides or herbicides in the compost pile

What not to

compost

WHEN IS COMPOST FINISHED?

Compost is mature when The color is dark brown

It is crumbly, loose,

and humus-like

It has an earthy smell

It contains no readily

recognizable feedstock The pile has shrunk to

about 1/3 of its original volume

TUMBLER COMPOSTING

A compost tumbler is a compost bin

designed to be rotated, so that materials

inside are remixed for aeration and faster

composting.

Its design may be ‘on the ground’ or ‘end

over end’ or ‘barrel-roll’.

Compost happens when there is even mix of

Carbon-rich and Nitrogen-rich materials.

STEPS FOR USING TUMBLER COMPOST

1. Select a location for your compost

tumbler

2. Add composting materials

3. Help the process

4. Give your compost tumbler a spin

5. Monitor the compost temperature

6. Use it!

BENEFITS OF TUMBLER COMPOSTING

Quick

Easy

Tidy

Waterwise

SHEET COMPOSTING OR MULCHING

Sheet mulching is a practice which harnesses the goodness

of large volumes of organic material collected in your own

yard and neighbourhood to create rich, healthy soil for your

garden plants

Sheet mulching can be used either in establishing

landscape, or to enrich existing plantings. In both cases,

mulch is applied to bare soil or on top of cut or flattened

weeds.

PROCEDURE OF SHEET MULCHING

1. It begins by mowing or scalping grass or other vegetation

down to the lowest possible level to the length and width.

2. Removing any pernicious or persistent weeds such as

blackberry, bindweed, morning glory or quackgrass.

3. Covering the ground with 4-6 overlapping layers of

newspaper or cardboard

4. Watering the newspaper or cardboard layer thoroughly and

covering it with a one-inch layer of a nitrogen source such

as manure.

CONTINUED..

5. Layer (weed free) well conditioned compost, grass

clippings, seaweed or leaves about 8-12inch thick .

6. Apply (weed free) chopped up leaves, straw, untreated

wood chips, mulch, sawdust, bark, etc. about 3 to 5” deep.

This will eventually compost down providing nutrients for

the future. Water the mulch.

7. If you plan to garden immediately, a layer of topsoil helps

especially if planting seeds.

8. Transplant vegetable plants right into the to top layer.

Benefits Uses simple materials

Reduces maintenance costs

Increases water retention in the soil. prevents erosion and improves soil

Creates a healthier garden that earthworms love

A process of construction not destruction

Mimics nature’s soil-building process

Works in flower gardens and around trees

Disadvantages

Some weed seeds (such as those of Bermuda grass and

species of bindweed) may persist under the barrier and

within the soil seed bank.

Slug populations may increase during the early stages of

decomposition. However they can be kept away or

harvested.

The system may need a constant supply of organic

material, at least during the early stages.

Roaming animals may interrupt the sheet mulching

process

ANAEROBIC COMPOST

biological breakdown of organic materials by

living anaerobic organisms (e.g. bacteria)

anaerobic composting was called "oufei“

chinese rice farmers to ferment a mix of

pond/canal sediments, leguminous green

manures (e.g. vetch), rice straw, and animal

manures in water-filled pits

HOW TO ANAEROBIC COMPOST

1. Regular Static Compost Piles

2. Garbage Bag Compost

3. Submersion Compost

4. Anaerobic Bucket Compost

POSITIVE ASPECTS

Requires a lot less work than aerobic composting

Produces more usable humus per volume of original composting ingredients compared to aerobic composting

Finished product contains higher levels of ammonium, since anaerobic microbes tend to use less nitrogen than aerobic microbes

produces biogas (e.g. methane and carbon dioxide), which can be captured and used for energy/fuel

DEFECTS

Putrification of organic materials can lead to

very unpleasant odors, due to release of sulfur-

containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide

Process requires a lot more time to produce

usable compost compared to aerobic

composting

If anaerobic compost is not allowed adequate

time to breakdown (e.g. one year), there are

risks that the compost will contain pathogens.

Understanding the Terminology

1. Vermiculture - the culture of

worms

2. Vermicomposting - the use of

worms for composting organic

materials.

3. Vermicompost - the product of

vermicomposting containing worm

castings, bedding materials as well

as organic matter in various stages

of decomposition.

4. Vermicasts - excreta of worms

5. Vermiculturist - the Worm Man or

a person who farms, breeds and

cares for WORMS. eg A professional

WORMfarmer is called

Vermiculturist.

WORMS

These invertebrates are classified under

Phylum annelida.

Worms under this group is divided into

three classes. Composting worm

species belong to Class Clitellata under

Order Oligochaeta.

The representative type is the

Lumbricus terrestis or the Nightcrawlers

commonly known as earthworms.

These are also field worms known as

Allolophora. They will attack almost all

organic matters from below.

.

Diagram of an Earthworm

Mouth

Seta

Male Pores

Clitellum

Anus

It defines the thrilling potential for waste

reduction, fertilizer production, as well as an

assortment of possible uses for the future.

Vermiculture enhances the growth of plants that

provide food along with producing prosperous and

financially rewarding fertilizer. The “vermi” or

earthworms are important in enriching the soil with

organic matter which comes from biodegradable

materials such as dead plants and animals which the

earthworms ingest.

VERMICULTURE

Vermiculture Systems focus on producing

the maximum level of worm biomass

possible in a given space.

Vermicomposting is defined as the practice

of using concentrations of earthworms to

convert organic materials into usable

vermicompost or worm castings. These

systems focus on the waste material and

managing it so that it can be successfully

and efficiently processed in a worm system.

The earthworm is one of nature's pinnacle "soil scientists."

Earthworms are liberated, cost effective farm relief. The worms

are accountable for a variety of elements including turning

common soil into superior quality. Worms facilitate the amount

of air and water that travels into soil. They break down organic

matter and when they eat, they leave behind castings that are

an exceptionally valuable type of fertilizer.

How often do worms breed?

The breeding cycle is approximately

27 days from mating to laying. Worms

can double in population every 60

days.

How long do worms live?

Researchers don't know the extreme

of the scale, but 2-3 years under the

right conditions is common. A

laboratory experiment in the UK is

said to have had a worm in the

laboratory for over ten years.

Do worms take up heavy metals?

There is much anecdotal, but no

scientific data to confirm this.

Earthworm Species used in

Vermiculture

Eisenia fetida* / Eisenia

andreii (common name, Red Worm)

Eudrilus eugeniae(common name, African nightcrawler)

Amynthas gracilus(common name, Alabama or Georgia jumper)

Perionyx excavatus (common name, Indian Blue

worm)

Significance of

Vermiculture

?

The art of composting has been part of our

global culture since ancient times.

•The basic principles are quite simple, and

adhering to them will result in an efficient and

successful outcome.

•Studies have shown that home composting can

divert an average of 700 lbs. of material per

household per year from the waste stream.

•Municipal composting carries a greater

environmental cost, but not nearly as high as if

leaf and yard wastes are disposed of by

conventional means.

1. Worms in the soil improve the structure through:

•Creation of a worm-made sponge in the top soil. This "sponge" has

certain qualities that enhance the soil.

a) Increased channels. The worms burrow through the soil and break

down the root mat. They also open up channels for oxygen and rainfall to

penetrate.

b) Increased moisture. This results in the worm-populated soil becoming

wet faster and deeper and consequently the soil that has been in contact

with worms holds the moisture longer.

c) Increased plant-growth. The tunnels created by worms are coated with

mucus, which is rich in nitrates, and plant roots take advantage of the

tunnels as easy-growth channels and pathways. Higher available

nutrient content. As a result of the combined action of the worms and

their bacteria.

2. A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE

CARBON/NITROGEN MIX.

a) The litter produced by plants mostly has a

carbon:nitrogen ratio greater than 20:1. If the

nitrogen level is above 20:1 it cannot be absorbed

by plants and the soil beneath and surrounding the

litter could become acid, the soluble mineral locked

up and the soil itself then becoming less fertile.

b) Therefore, it is essential that the carbon:nitrogen ratio

be reduced to 20:1 or less, and this is greatly assisted by

worms feeding on the rotting litter.

•Although the rotting is started off by bacterial action, it is

accelerated by worms eating the litter and excreting the

castings.

•It can therefore be strongly argued that without the action

of worms, the forests of the world might be very different.

•The same can be said of our fertile plains.

•The castings produced by worms act as a fertiliser.

c) This conversion process is optimised in the

Vermitech vermiculture system. The beds

produce ideal conditions for worms to convert

the organic material.

In summary, worm worked soils

exhibit enhanced water holding capacity,

improved water infiltration ,

enhanced microbial activity and significant

mineralisation of organic Nitrogen .

Working on Vermiculture

Select a place away from direct heat, strong

sunlight and incessant rains. Dig a pit measuring 2

feet x 2 feet x 2 feet. Line the pit with polythene

(PVC) sheet to arrest escape of earthworm

through crevices. (Earthen pot, Brick, Cement tank

or Wooden boxes can also be used to house

earthworms).

The pit is systematically filled with four layers of waste.

First layer -- (Bottom of the pit) is filled up to 2 inches

with coconut fibre, rice husk and sugarcane bagasse.

Second layer is 2 inches thick, consisting of sawdust,

chopped rice/wheat straw. Dampen the bed by sprinkling

water.

Third layer is the earthworm food, this includes an

admixture of cow-dung, green foliage, vegetable

remnants, discarded parts of fruits, droppings of horses,

asses, pigs, sheep or biogas slurry, human excreta,

paper or scrap of cardboards etc.

This feed should be spread till a height of 6 to 8 inches.

Release about 100 earthworms on the top without hurting them.

These earthworms will start penetrating to the bottom.

Once all these earthworms disappear, cover the surface with jute

bags and keep them wet by sprinkling water in a judicious way.

The jute bags may be turned upside down thrice in the first week,

twice in the second week and only once in the third and following

weeks, without causing any disruption to the top.

Water and heat inside the tank assist the organic matter to decay

- proliferates the number of earthworms - both these take place

simultaneously.

By 4 to 5 weeks, production of heat inside the pit will cease and

will come down to 600‡ to 650 Fahrenheit.

In case no warmth is felt by hands, understand that the manure

is almost ready for use.

From one tank, 50 kg. of manure is produced.

ADVANTAGES

• General Advantages:-

• Increases infiltration and permeability of

heavy soil.

• Reduces erosion and runoff.

• Improves water holding capacity, thus

reducing water loss.

• Supplies a variety of macro and

micronutrients.

PHYSICAL BENEFIT

a) Improved structure

b) Moisture management

CHEMICAL BENEFITS

Modifies and Stabilizes pH

Increases Cation Exchange Capacity

Provides nutrients

BIOLOGICAL BENEFITS

Provides soil biota

Suppresses Plant Disease

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Binds Contaminants

Degrades Compounds

Wetland Restoration

Erosion Control

Weed control