ORGANIC FARMING

Organic Farming :: Composting Techniques

Fortified or Safal Compost from Dung Heap in 40 Days

Material and Method

Add inoculums

Use of microbial inoculants provides more rapid and efficient conversion of raw organic materials into compost. Now the heap temperature come down to normal than add one week old composting culture, an organic product has the potential to play the role of promoting growth and providing immunity in plant system ferment this material for 5-7 days for raising the microbial load in drum. Add water to dilute (if require) and apply this fermented liquid @ two to three liter per hole and repeat the same process three times at every 7 to 10 days intervals for accelerating the decomposition process. Presence of naturally occurring beneficial and effective microorganisms (EMOs) predominantly lactic acid bacteria (lactobacillus) Yeast (sacchacromyces), Actinomycetes (streptomycetes), photosynthetic bacteria and certain fungi besides beneficial and proven biofertilisers such as Azotobacter, Azospirillium and Phospho-bacteria were detected in panchagavya.

Composition of composting culture

Fresh Animal dung : 30 to 40 kg
Animal urine : 20 to 30 liter
Butter milk : 4-6 liter
Gur (Jaggery) : 2.0 kg
Fertile soil : 5.0 kg

Value addition

Take the following material, pore in water and cow urine in a drum for uniform solution and add in each hole as recommended one time only after the hole making process. Value addition for better nutrient content for fortified the compost quality as per the composition given below:

Material	Nutrient content	Quantity add per ton dung
Rock phosphate/ Bone meal	Phospate 20%	30-40 kg up to 2-5 % of total mass
Pyrite or	Sulphur & Iron 20% each	30-40 kg up to 2-5 % of total mass
Gypsum	Sulphur 14-20%	30-40 kg up to 2-5 % of total mass
Muriate of potash	Potash 48-60%	20-40 kg up to 2-3 % of total mass

A review on different Composting methods used in India

Sl.No	Method of Composting/ Maturity Time	Merits of Method	Demerits	Adoptability	Labor and Cost	Remarks
1.	NADEP Compost 90-120 days	Produced aerobic compost	Strucuture cost is high	Promoted by government	Medium to high	Much propagated by govt. but due to cumbersomeness
2.	Bangalore Method Acharya 1939 70-90 days	Good quality of compost	Frequent turning	Limited adoptability	High labor cost	High labour and cost resulted in less replicability
3.	Indore Method 60-90 days	Good quality of compost	Frequent turning in three pits	Limited adoptability	High labour cost	High labour and cost resulted in less replicability
4	Pit Manure 180-210 days	Most common method	Some time immature compost	Moderate popularity	Minimum labour	Poor quality compost
5.	Four pit Method 90 days	Produces Good quality of compost	Alternate filling of four pits	Non popular	Costly	Less adaptability due to higher cost
6.	Open Window Compost 60-80 days	Easy method of Composting	Imperfect maturity	Very less	Laborious and high input cost	Less applicable due to non-availability of raw material
7.	Polyethylene Covered Compost 45-60 days	Easy method of composting	Aeration require through blower	Not popular	Less labour and cost	Impractical approach due to wear and tear
8.	Heap Manure 180-250 days	Simple method of compost production	Immature compost production	Most popular method in farmers	No cost	Poorest quality compost due to non technical approach
9.	Wet & Drying Compost 40-50 days	Fast composting process	Laborious method	Labor oriented method	High labor cost	Less adaptable due to high labour
10.	Biogas Compost 40-60 days	Good quality compost	Some time difficult to apply	Becoming popular	Little bit costly	Costly and due to technical flow of subsidy
11.	Safal or fortified compost Maximum 40-45 days	Very good quality compost	Very easily applicable	Very effective and quality output	Little or no cost with 3 hour labour only	Becoming most popular wherever adopted due to quick maturity and that too of a bigger heap at one time