On farm waste used as organic fertiliser

On farm waste used as organic fertiliser



Fruit farmer Mrs Farzana Panhwar, based near Hydearabad, Pakistan, has written to farmingsolutions to explain how and why she produces ecologically sound low-cost compost by utilising ‘on farm waste’. She uses an environmentally friendly way to produce valuable fertiliser necessary to keep her 100-acre (42 hectare) fruit orchard productive.

Summary
Composting involves transforming organic matter rich in carbohydrates yet deficient in nitrogen into a new and stable product. This occurs when the aerobic (growing) bacteria’s metabolism consumes carbohydrates. That in turn converts both nitrogen into a stable product and micronutrients such as copper, zinc, manganese and iron into their organic form – ready for application to the soil and as plant breeding material.

Raw compost materials used by the Panhwar fruit farm include: Crop residue Grass clippings Leaves Newspaper Peat moss Straw Wood chips and sawdust Farmyard manure
Urea is added to the compost as it is convenient and cost-free. Sometimes farmyard manure sold by nearby villages - is used. The volume of farmyard manure has to be about half that of the other materials listed above. If urea mixed alone with sawdust is used, then the formula is as follows: Take two-part leaves mixed with one-part grass clippings to ensure fast, odourless decomposition. Add to this three times as much plant matter as urea to obtain the best results.

Factors affecting the composting process include:
oxygen aeration nutrients (C:N ratio) moisture porosity structure Texture, and particle size pH temperature time
Advantages of composting
The advantages of composting are multifold. The digestion of bulky organic matter to almost one-third its original volume takes place and there is a multiple increase in nutrient levels of nitrogen, phosphate and potash. The product is available to plants in an acceptable form and is easy to transport, store and apply. The mixture is stable in dry conditions and does not leach away, so that roots readily take the micronutrients it contains.

The compost can also be partially dissolved in water. The solution-containing ingredient can be mixed with water for foliar feed of the plants. Almost any non-synthetic organic matter can be converted into compost by adding the ingredients listed above in quantities that will provide a balanced product.

Potting compost ingredients include:
Sawdust = 35.2 cubic feet Urea = 1 kg Triple phosphate = 1 kg Potassium sulphate = 1 kg CuSO4 = 200 grams ZnSO4 = 250 grams FeSO4 = 250 grams MnSO4 = 150 grams Boron = 150 grams
This type of mixture is turned over daily for 2-3 months until it sinks to about two thirds of its original volume. At this point the pile no longer heats up. This mixture is most suitable for potting nursery plants.

Irrigating and mulching
In Pakistan people often use flood irrigation, which leads to temporary anaerobic conditions for bacteria after application. This type of irrigation is used frequently in hot and dry weather and can have the effect of reducing yield. So on the Panhwars’ farm irrigation is introduced indirectly by planting trees on ridges about 2 meters wide and 25-30 cm high and applying water in furrows. Furrow widths vary between 2.4 - 4.0 meters depending on the type of fruit tree growing there. The grass that grows in furrows under the trees is dumped on the ridges as mulch and irrigation water is directed along these channels. The water then seeps horizontally in the ridges and when evaporating moistens the mulch which, exposed to air and moisture, is attacked by fungus, bacteria, insects and their predators such as earthworms. Within three months, the new layer of grasses growing in the furrow is recycled on the ridge. This is compost in its most suitable form.

Results – Panhwar’s compost serves to:
Form humic acid, which acts as stimulant plant growth Condition the soil, helping to reduce soil-born plant diseases Increase water holding capacity Increase infiltration rates Increase soil aeration Promote the growth of bacteriophages, which destroy harmful bacteria Provide the ideal condition for beneficial insect proliferation on the outer side of compost heaps Maintain soil structure Retain air, moisture and nutrients for crops to grow Help control soil erosion Promote the growth of myeorrhizae associated fungi. t These fungi are essential for the growth of certain species. Composting high carbon manure bedding mixtures lowers the carbon/nitrogen ratio to acceptable levels for rapid application Rduce the need to apply soil fungicides in the production of certain horticultural crops by using compost in potting mixes and seedlings beds Act as a better buffer solution, forming organic acid in the presence of humus
If plants are treated with a liquid extract of compost, attacks by fungi such as blight and mildew can be prevented.

Conclusion
This method of ‘on-farm composting’ brings plants into fruition within 24-36 months on Panhwar’s farm. Without this, these plants would only come into fruition in their 5th year. Plants reared on this compost are healthy and less prone to disease.

Source
Author: Mrs Farzana Panhwar
Address: 157-C, Unit No.2, Latifabad, Hyderabad (Sindh), Pakistan.
E-mail: farzanapanhwar@hotmail.com
Fax: 92-21-5830826/92-221-860410