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Organic compost fertilizer is the closest we can return to natural farming. The emerging farming system is towards the use of organic fertilizer in combination with chemical fertilizer.

There are now available in the market several Pro-biotic like BYM and Tricograma that helps hasten the breakdown and decomposition of organic cellulous materials to convert them into organic fertilizer.

Simple way of preparing organic compost:

The old practice is the sandwich type where different organic materials or waste are pilled layer after layer like plant residue + animal waste + soil and repeat the process until reaching a meter high. Keep it moist and insert a bamboo with ventilated holes to aerate until the material decomposes. Then mix the material and keep it moist until totally decomposed. Aerate and expose to sunlight before applying as fertilizer.

The new practice is chopping or hammer-milling the organic materials then spraying pro-biotic to the mass keep it moist and cover with plastic sheet to avoid dehydration. Mix the mass at least once a week. With sufficient digester (microorganism or pro-biotic) it will take less than a month to convert organic materials into ready to use fertilizer.

Mixing a combination of different organic materials both plant and animal source will insure a more complete nutrient content of the organic fertilizer. Pro-biotic spray or inoculation of the compost will present destructive and undesirable microorganisms to grow. The odor becomes pleasant.

COMPOST

Composting, essentially a rapid self heating process by which organic material is decomposed and stabilized, was practiced by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and is even mentioned in religious texts. During the past 20 years, this time honored practice has developed into a robust waste-management technology that generates valuable organic soil amendments.

Biological treatment technologies may be either aerobic or anaerobic. Aerobic systems use oxygen, but anaerobic ones don’t. Both may use heat to fuel the reactions that break down organic matter in manure. In composting, heat is generated by microbes that digest organic matter. After decomposition, it will be good to sanitize the organic compound by drying or exposing it to sunlight for a day or two.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  &nbs p;
“Nutrient stabilization in composted manure allows soil microbes and plants to use the nutrients in a slow-release and beneficial manner. Compost may even help reduce demand for nitrogen in certain crops.” Says Patricia Miller of the Environmental Microbial Safety Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland
Composting is one of several technologies used to treat animal manure, sewage sludge, and other organic residuals, which may contain pathogens or parasites of public health concern. In any manure slurry system, solid can be composted. Liquids can be further processed to stabilize nitrogen and phosphorus in soluble forms compatible with current nutrient-management requirements.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR OWN LACTO BACILLI

LACTO BACILLI is one of the beneficial microorganisms called pro-biotic. It helps in the breaking down of cellulose fibers and converts organic materials into humus and fertilizer. Producing your own stock of lacto bacilli can easily by do using the following procedure:
1.        Use rice wash or finely grounded grain preferably brown rice mix in water.
2.        Place in a wide plastic basin and cover loosely to allow ventilation.
3.        Allow it to ferment for 7 days. Bacteria including lacto bacilli in air will infect solution.
4.        Strain liquid and place in bigger plastic container.
5.        Add 10 parts milk (skim, powdered, condensed or fresh) Milk is best feed for lacto bacilli will multiply rapidly and overgrow other bacteria in solution. .
6.        Cover loosely to allow ventilation and ferment for another one week.
7.        The flotsam consisting of fats, carbohydrate and protein contain lacto bacilli.
8.        Scoop the flotsam and mix with food or feed materials. A yellow colored liquid will form containing a great concentration of lacto bacilli.
9.        Store in refrigeration or room temperature.
10.     Mix liquid in equal quantity of rough brown sugar, moscovado or molasses.
11.     Mix stock solution in 20 parts water. Use to be with compost materials.
12.     Dosage: Use 2-4 tbs. per gallon water and spray to plants.

Soil structure is easy to improve with compost. Organic matter is the most important source of plant nutrients contributing to the fertility of the soil. Compost material sustains healthy plant growth by providing food for both living microorganisms, speeding up their multiplication and absorption of the roots. Organic matter ha also dual role that helps water move through the soil and at the same time improve the soil’s water holding capacity. Unlike depleted soils of organic matter, soils rich in humus retain a good surface and do not crust or clod after heavy rains. Aeration is good in humus rich soils and this important factor means root growth is good. Organic matter also acts as storage for nutrients, increases cat ion exchange capacity and acts as a regulator for nutrients, so they are not all releases at one time.

HOW TO MAKE COMPOST

The sandwich method:

a.     Organic materials such as animal waste, plant waste and topsoil are placed in layers one on top of the other until they reach a high of 3 feet.
b.     The material is watered moist and covered with coconut leaves or plastic sheet in order that moisture will be retained.
c.     Mix the compost pill after two weeks, moist and cover again.
d.     Repeat mixing once a week, until the compost materials are totally decompose with the appearance of soil.
e.     Dry in direct sunlight to kill or eliminate unwanted microorganisms such as fungus and bacteria.
f.      The material is now ready for use or placed in sacks for storage or shipment.

Biological fast composting:

a.     Gather the organic material, chop or hammer mill and mix thoroughly.
b.     Water them moist with pro-biotic microorganism (lactobacilli or trichoderma) mixed in the water.
b.     Cover the compost pile with plastic sheet.
c.     Mix the material every week.
d.     It will usually take only 4 weeks to totally decompose the material with the aid of the microorganisms that help digest the cellulose materials.
e.     Sundry the decomposed organic material (fertilizer) to kill unwanted microorganisms.
f.      The material is now ready for use or bagging for storage or shipment.

Field composting:

a.     After harvest and just before plowing and land preparation, gather the organic materials, chop or hammer mill.
b.     Spread the materials evenly in the field. In case the plant waste residues are in the field, then step a. will not be necessary.
c.     Spray the organic material in the field with pro-biotic microorganism.
d.     Plow and disk-harrow the field to mix the organic material with the soil.
e.     If possible do the above operation just before an expected rain or irrigate the field after the plowing of cultivation. This will allow the microorganism to work fast, and multiply. In the process, digesting the organic material into organic fertilizer or soil amendment.

Note that the pro-biotic organisms will continue working in the soil, as long as favorable conditions like adequate soil moisture and presence of organic materials.

Steps in composting with wild sunflower:

1.     Look for a suitable area, partly or fully shaded.
2.     Gather compost materials such as rice straw, animal manure, and other farm waste.
3.     Collect wild sunflower and chop the young stem and leaves into small pieces.
4.     Stick a bamboo with holes to serve as ventilator of the compost pile.
5.     Pile crops residue and farm waste in the following sequence: rice straw, sunflower, manure, soil and repeat the layering. Proportion: 2-3 parts fresh sunflower, 1 part rice straw, 2 parts manure and 1 part soil.
6.     Water the pile until thoroughly wet.
7.     Cover pile with leaves, sack or plastic sheet to minimize evaporation.
8.     Check the moisture every 2 days, and wet in case compost dry up.
9.     Check also the temperature. If it is warm, then decomposition is taking place.
10.  After 3 to 4 weeks, check the compose pile and if it has turn into soil humus physical form it is most likely ripe.
11.  In case the compose will not immediately be used, air dry before placing into sacks or in a shady dry place.

Farmers are encouraged to implement simple and inexpensive ways of producing organic fertilizers through the use of indigenous technology. They may adopt other methods of composting by using other materials and plant waste available in their respective farms.

VERMICOMPOSTING

VERMICOMPOSTING is composting plant materials with worms. The advantage of vermin-composting to that of the usual conventional compost pile is that the process is faster and the resulting organic soil is richer in certain nutrients provided by the earthworms themselves. It is rich in humic acid, which is a growth promoting.

African Night Crawler (Eudrilis eugeniae) earthworm is incredible eaters and will eat and expel their own weight every day when conditions are right. It takes 60 days or less for fresh organic waste to be converted into compost fertilizer. Our native earthworm may also be employed.

Steps in Vermi-composting:

1.        Have a shed for the composting site to protect the worms from direct sunlight and from torrential rains to be able to do their work undisturbed. The worms need a good living condition, dimly lit area to live in with enough moisture.

2.        Construct a storage area for digested compost before it is screened and bagged.

3.        Construct the compost bed for worms to digest with concrete hollow blocks three blocks high with a depth of 30-45 cm. 1 meter wide by 2 meters long or longer. Be sure that the soil bed is well drained under the composting bed. The worms will not escape into the soil if there is available food to digest.

4.        Use a shredder or hammer mill to crush the organic materials into small particles easy to decompose and eaten by the earthworms. Good food: They need 25% nitrogen from legumes like Madre de cacao and ipil-ipil leaves, chicken droppings and cattle dung, etc. and 75% carbon source like grasses, rice and corn stalks, cogon and sugarcane tops.

5.        Mixing old animal manure and chicken droppings (2 months old) with shredded vegetable waste will improve the nutrient content of the finish product. Do not use fresh manure for the ammonia produced will give discomfort to the worms.

6.        Water the bed from time to time to keep them moist but not flooded so as not to drown the worms.

7.        Fence off or screen in the beds to keep out chickens, birds, rodents and other pest that will eat or bother the worms in the wormer.

8.        Mix a little ordinary soil to the fresh shredded vegetable materials before introducing the worms.

9.        Place one kilogram of worms per square meter for fast composting. 10-20 pieces may do to start with but it will take longer time to compost while the worms breed to increase their number. A kilo of worms are sold for P500 and they breed fast in two months.

10.     Inoculating and spraying the compost materials with pro-biotic bacteria will help fast tract decomposition and the worms to digest the compost in much shorter time.

11.     When the compost is digested, the worms become less active. It is time to herd them to another compartment with fresh food materials. As they leave, the digested compost is ready for harvest and transferred to the stocking or holding area for screening, drying and packing.

12.     Harvesting will be easier by allowing the bed with completely digested compost material to dry up so the worms will move to the next compartment with moisture and fresh shredded vegetable food materials.

13.     Screen the material with ¼ inch mesh before weighing and bagging for sale. 50 kilo bag humus is sold for P150 to P300 to gardeners. If you use it in your own farm, there is no need of screening. (Note: Commercial imported chemical fertilizer today prices have gone over P600 per 50 kilo bag)

The worm’s feces are called vermin-casting or humus. Compost takes 2-3 months to decompose, while shredded materials fed to worms takes only 15-21 days.

Advantages of Vermicomposting:
1.     Environment friendly. The use of organic fertilizer, vermin-casting of humus is one, revives the soil fertility level and brings back life to soil environment, improves soil texture and improves water holding capacity.
2.     Economical. Investment on vermicomposting is only about P2.00 per kilo while commercial chemical fertilizer cost P8-15 per kilo.
3.     Higher Crop Yield. Humus has shown its potency in inducing higher crop yield for a longer period. Vermi-casting humus is found to be more effective compared to ordinary compost and chemical fertilizers.
4.     Market Potential is Very Big. Organically grown food crops are increasing in market demand. Organic fertilizer has likewise increased in use as imported commercial fertilizer have been increasing its prices.
5.     No imported inputs required. Farmers can make their own organic fertilizer from farm waste materials. This means no dependence on imports and oil price fluctuations.
6.     Healthful. Organic farming is considered as healthful way of growing food crops.
7.     Lesser risk. Producing your own fertilizer will make you unaffected by exchange rates and fluctuation changes in the prices of other commodities. There is less or no risk at all producing your own fertilizer and even selling excess requirement of your own farm.
8.     Undemanding laborers. The worms themselves them selves are the workers converting farm waste materials into organic plant food nutrients.
9.     Big savings. Producing your own fertilizer is a big savings and cost cutting for the farmers.
10.  Income-earner. This technology can help farmers earn more from their farm waste

MAGGOT COMPOSTING

Instead of using earthworm, a simple natural process has been discovered in fast composting. A mixture of sawdust and chicken or quail droppings are placed in a compost pile covered with shed. The maggots eat up the cellulose in a few weeks instead of several months. To prevent the maggots to complete its cycle to adult flies, chickens are allowed to scratch and peak the growing maggots, a source of animal protein. Spraying or drenching the compost pile with pro-biotic microorganisms (beneficial bacteria and fungi) will help hasten decomposition and prevent foul odor.

SLUDGE FERTILIZER

Liquid sewage sludge being disposed as communal waste contain essential elements needed by crops, making it a potential organic fertilizer and soil conditioner for sugarcane farms, corn fields, rice lands and even fruit orchards and vegetable gardens.

In a research conducted by Luzon Agricultural Research and Extension Center (LAREC) of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in cooperation with Manila Water Company, Inc., the use of liquid sewage sludge for agricultural purposes was assessed to determine its effects on the growth and yield of sugarcane. The study was conducted at LAREC R&D Farm at Florida Blanca, Pampanga.

It was confirmed the application of liquid sewage sludge in the barren sandy lahars deposits of Florida Blanca, Pampanga the soil became richer and sustain healthy and productive sugar cane, compared with untreated field.

COMPOSTING CROP RESIDUE IN THE FIELD

Rice and corn are among the traditional crops grown by Filipino farmers. As the usual practice is removing the debris and burn them to clear the land and cultivate for next planting. Tones of organic materials are wasted and lost.

Organic farmers spread rice straw and corn cubs back to the field immediately after harvest. They are sprayed with beneficial microorganisms or pro-biotic or bacteria and plowed under. In 4 weeks, they are decomposed and the field is ready for land preparation for new planting.

This practice is also being started with big pineapple and banana plantations in Mindanao. Some sugarcane planters found the benefit of composting cane residue in the field instead of the usual practice of burning after harvest then cultivating and fertilizing. Field composting of crop residue help retain and improve soil fertility, at the start reduces the use of chemical fertilizer to the time that no more synthetic fertilizer is needed.

Coconut trees and other fruit trees have lots of leaves, bracts, twigs, flowers and fruits that fall to the grown. When these materials are allowed to decompose beneath the trees, they turn into humus and fertilizer to the trees. Unfortunately, because of clean culture, they are removed and burned. Teaching the farmers to return the crop residue to the soil from where they came from will both enrich the soil and sustain productivity of the trees without relying solely on chemical or synthetic fertilizers.

GREEN MANURING

Green manuring is the is the planting of seasonal crops usually legumes like beans and plowing them under at their tender age during flowering and early fruiting when they are rich in nutrients. Plowing under weeds and grasses, allowing them to decompose is also green manuring. Spraying them with pro-biotic will hasten their decomposition. These practices have long been done by farmers’ century back, until commercial chemical fertilizers have been introduced to the market.
COVER CROPPING
Cover cropping is the growing of low crawling plants usually leguminous vines like centrocema pubisence and kudzu to protect the soil surface from water erosion, prevent the growth of noxious weeds and help increase soil fertility. These are grown beneath fruit trees and taller crops.

Written by: Mr. Rex Rivera