Why is composting essential
Composting is the natural process of 'rotting' or decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms under controlled conditions. Raw organic materials such as crop residues, animal wastes, food garbage, some municipal wastes and suitable industrial wastes, enhance their suitability for application to the soil as a fertilizing resource, after having undergone composting
A mass of rotted organic matter made from waste is called compost. The compost made from farm waste like sugarcane trash, paddy straw, weeds and other plants and other waste is called farm compost. The average nutrient contents of farm compost are 0.5 per cent N, 0.15 per cent P2O5and 0.5 per cent K2O.
Methods of composting
In Coimbatore method, composting is done in pits of different sizes depending on the waste material available. A layer of waste materials is first laid in the pit. It is moistened with a suspension of 5-10 kg cow dung in 2.5 to 5.0 I of water and 0.5 to 1.0 kg fine bone meal sprinkled over it uniformly. Similar layers are laid one over the other till the material rises 0.75 m above the ground level. It is finally plastered with wet mud and left undisturbed for 8 to 10 weeks. Plaster is then removed, material moistened with water, given a turning and made into a rectangular heap under a shade. It is left undisturbed till its use
In the Indore method of composting, organic wastes are spread in the cattle shed to serve as bedding. Urine soaked material along with dung is removed every day and formed into a layer of about 15 cm thick at suitable sites. Urine soaked earth, scraped from cattle sheds is mixed with water and sprinkled over the layer of wastes twice or thrice a day. Layering process continued for about a fortnight. A thin layer of well decomposed compost is sprinkled over top and the heap given a turning and reformed. Old compost acts as inoculum for decomposing the material. The heap is left undisturbed for about a month. Then it is thoroughly moistened and given a turning. The compost is ready for application in another month.
Why composting is necessary?
The rejected biological materials contain complex chemical compounds such as lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, polysaccharides, proteins, lipids etc.
- These complex materials cannot be used as such as resource materials
- The complex materials should be converted into simple inorganic element as available nutrient
- The material put into soil without conversion will undergo conversion inside the soil
- This conversion process take away all energy and available nutrients from the soil affecting the crop
- Hence conversion period is mandatory
Advantages of Composting
The rejected biological materials contain complex chemical compounds such as lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, polysaccharides, proteins, lipids etc.
- Volume reduction of waste
- Final weight of compost is very less
- Composting temperature kill pathogen, weed seeds and seeds
- Matured compost comes into equilibrium with the soil
- During composting number of wastes from several sources are blended together
- Excellent soil conditioner
- Saleable product
- Improves manure handling
- Reduces the risk of pollution
- Pathogen reduction
- Additional revenue
- Suppress plant diseases and pests
- Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers
- Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
- Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils
- Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste
- Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff
- Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air
- Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent o