Enviroganics - compost soil conditioner fertiliser organic organic compost organic byproducts natural enviroganics pty

enviroganics certified natural soil conditioner and fertiliser

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OUR PRODUCTS

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Organic Matter Soil Health Key

Compost boosts Sorghum

Delving Deeper into Organics

Planting for Success - even in drought

Compost promotes peanut growth

Controlled Temperature Composting

Due to the control of temperature (55c to 65c) during the composting of the cattle feedlot manure there is no evidence of the survival of harmful human pathogens (Salmonella, Listeria and E-coli) and weed seeds.

Value

The nutrients, nitrogen phosphorus, potassium, calcium, in Enviroganics Premium Compost (30% moisture) are valued at more than $100 per tonne (based on equivalent inorganic fertilisers). Other components, organic carbon trace elements and increased water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity and benificial micro-organisms would add to the value of this product.

Suggested Application Rates

Most broad-acre farmers are applying Enviroganics Compost at a rate of 5 tonnes per hectare or 2 tonnes per acre as this is economical for their cropping rotations. While saying this, some cotton growers are applying Enviroganics Compost at rates of 10 tonnes per hectare or 4 tonnes per acre as they are needing to achieve good results as they have been applying more inorganic fertiliser than they have in the past and not getting the return they used to achieve when using less inorganic fertiliser.

Some horticulture farmers apply Enviroganics Compost at 10 tonnes per hectare or 4 tonnes per acre as this suits their need and their soil types. Light loamy to sandy soils can do with a heavier application but economics can play a part as to the expense that can be outlayed.

Doing your own Field Trials with Compost

A compost is the end-product of the microbial breakdown of organic matter, in the presence of ample air and water. Heat is produced, favouring the activity of heat-tolerant microbes. The microbial diversity in a compost is renowned for destroying toxic chemicals such as pesticides. Vermicomposts (with worms) are excluded from this definition as worms cannot tolerate heat, and raw material requirements for processing are more restricted compared to conventional composts (see ‘Can Do’ no 7‘What is a quality vermicompost’).

BIOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN A MATURE COMPOST

The three stages of composting are:

consolidation when raw materials (feedstock) are mixed with water (to field capacity), formed into a windrow and the bulk density of the windrow is established;
active stage when the core temperature is maintained ideally between 50 and 60C; and
curing stage when the core temperature drops and nutrients are released in the inorganic form (figure 1 and refer to ‘Can Do’ sheet no 4‘A Practical Guide to On-Farm Co-composting’). In a mature compost, microbes have converted the readily available organic matter into humic acids and microbial cells. In contrast immature composts may contain partially broken down chemicals which may be toxic, and excessive microbial activity which may induce nutrient draw-down if the compost is applied to growing plants.

Figure 1: (click to enlarge)
Temperature change over time in a cotton trash windrow, describing the three stages of composting (Consolidation, Active and Curing). Bars show changes in the total phosphorus concentration over the three stages, with mineral P (available) in yellow, and organic P (slow-release) in blue. Windrows were turned only once every 5 weeks.

If the compost is well mixed during the Active stage, then the survival of weed seeds and plant and animal pathogens will be minimal. Plant residues can be composted in their own right (figure 1). However most composts include animal manures, to increase the phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and trace element content. Adding 1 part by volume feedlot manure to 2 parts cotton trash in a compost mix improved the total P content at the curing stage from 3,116 mg/kg to 4,984 mg/kg.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUALITY COMPOST

A quality compost should have about 20% of the P in the mineral (plant-available) form (figure 1). To achieve this the compost must have undergone more than 4 weeks curing, during which time the water content of the mix will also decrease. At sale the water content of the product should be about 30% by weight, providing enough moisture to minimise dust during handling. At this stage, any chemicals that may be toxic to plants will have been broken down, and sufficient P and K will be available for plant growth. However N may still be predominantly in the organic form (figure 2), which plants cannot use. Therefore if used as an alternative to conventional fertilisers, additional mineral N fertiliser may need to be applied (eg. urea, blood or fish meal). The compost should be screened before sale, to remove any stones or other large particles.

Figure 2: (click to enlarge)
Cycling of nutrients in the soil. Straight arrows show the pathways of inorganic (plant-available) nutrients. Curved arrows show organic nutrient pathways. To become available for plant uptake, organic nutrients must be converted to inorganic forms by soil organisms (insects and other arthropods, and microbes).

Composts which include bark or timber in the raw material, contain a higher proportion of lignin and other phenolics. In the immature state these compounds contribute to plant toxicity. However after decomposition, they assist in controlling soilborne diseases. For this reason, mature timber-based composts are preferred in potting media for plant nurseries. Raw materials high in lignin also contribute higher concentrations of humus (Figure 2), compounds which improve the structure, the nutrient and water-holding capacity of soil.


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