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

™

www.maraseeds.com.au