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Composting Unplugged -A look into the different composting techniques

Bernice Kadatz

Eywa Remediation

2020 Organic Alberta Conference

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Before we start

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Outlineu Introduction

u Definitions

u Composting methods

Ø Thermal composting

Ø VermicompostingØ Bokashi composting

u Evaluating compost

u Compost Cautionsu Compost Enhancement

u Application strategies

u Q & A

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About me

uCurrently live in the Village Carbon, AB Canada

uEmployed with Alberta Research Council (33 yr) on various R&D projects

uOrganic beef farm owner/operator (25 yr)

uTeach soil classes for Organic Master Gardener program in Stoney Plain, AB

Ø Gaia College On-line Program

uVolunteer with the Camrose Northern Railway Society (2014)

Ø Meeting Creek Prairie Grassland Restoration Project

uPassionate about soil health & sharing what I have learned

Photo: Drumheller Mail

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Composting Definitions

u Field Guide to On-Farm Composting –

Ø “a managed biological oxidation process that converts heterogeneous organic matter into a more homogeneous, fine-particled, humus-like material…..

u Wikipedia –

Ø organic matter that has been decomposed

u Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) –

Ø controlled decomposition

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Composting Definitions

u Guidelines for Compost Quality – CCME (The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) -

Ø Managed process of bio-oxidation of a solid heterogeneous organic substrate including a thermophilic phase……

u Rhodale Institute –Ø Compost is created from the aerobic decomposition of many materials usually considered

waste, including:v food scraps

v animal manures

v Leaves

v straw, and more.

Ø Composting occurs when carbon-rich materials (“browns”), like straw and leaves, are mixed with nitrogen-rich materials (“greens”), like food scraps and manure….

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Why compost?

u Save moneyu Reduce waste volume u Promote plant productivity and soil qualityu Eliminate pathogens, deleterious

organisms, and weed seeds u Create a final product that:

Øhas stabilized plant nutrients

Ø is beneficial when applied to the land

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Types of Composting Techniques

2. Vermicomposting 3. Bokashi Composting

Static Pile Aerated Static Pile (Turned) Windrow

1. Thermal Processes

Bin System

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Thermal Composting - Four Distinct Phases

Photo Source: https://earth5r.org

Thermophilic Phase

Mesophilic Phase

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Microorganisms Associated with Thermal Compost Piles

Mesophilic Stage Thermophilic StageBacteria Pseudomonas, Bacillus,

Flavobacterium, ClostridiumBacillus, Thermus

Actinomycetes Streptomyces Streptomyces, Micropolyspora, Thermoactinomyces, Thermomonospora

Fungi Aspergillus, Mucor, Humicola, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Penicillium

Aspergillus, Mucor, Humicola, Chaetomium, Absidia, Sporotrichum, Torula (yeast), Thermoascus

Source: M. Stromberger, CSU

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Elements for making quality thermal compost

u Batch process

u The ideal C:N ratio is 30 parts brown (Carbon) to 1 part green (Nitrogen)

u Best to have the materials well mixed or blended and consistent in size

u The pile needs to get to above 55 ºC (131 ºF) within 3 to 7 days from starting.

u The pile must maintain temperature above 55 ºC (131 ºF) for a full 10-15 days.

u Turn the pile when it starts to reach 70-75 ºC (160-165 ºF)

Ø organisms are growing so fast

Ø Generating heat

Ø using up all the oxygen in the pile

u Pile should be maintained at 50% moisture content

u A pile is NOT FINISHED until temperature returns to ambient.

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Thermal Compost Notables

u Considerable Variability in:

Ø Final product

v Chemical properties

v Biological properties

Ø Disease suppression

u Generally will have higher bacterial counts than fungal counts

u Good way to sterilize weed seeds – proper mixing & temperature (60°C, 140°F)

u Practical way to handle large volumes of material

u Useful technique to handle animal mortalities

Ø Follow guidelines for handling mortalities

Ø Caution – spontaneous combustion –

Start Finish

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Vermicomposting (Worm) Systemsu Vermicomposting can be outdoors in suitable climate conditions or indoors in buildings or plastic

tunnels.

u For maximum productivity optimal environmental conditions should be maintained.

u Ground beds or windrows

u Container or vermicomposting box crate systems

u Domestic waste processing systems

u Automated, continuous flow vermicomposting reactors

Windrow Container WormBed Home Worm Bin Flow-through Reactor

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VermiComposting (Worm)Key Elementsu Not all Species of earthworms are suitable for vermicomposting

u Organic waste-consuming earthworms:

Ø Eisenia fetida (Red Wigglers)🥵

Ø Eudrilus Eugeniae (African Night Crawlers)🥶

u Require aerobic conditions and remain in the top 10-15 cm of a flow through system—moving up as new organic matter is added to the surface.

u Organic materials are added to systems in thin layers (2.5-5.0 cm)

u Temperature should be maintained ideally at 20-30 ̊C

u Optimal Moisture content: 70%-90%

Photo: WikipediaEisenia fetida – red wigglers

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Vermicomposting Notablesu Less forgiving - dealing with livestock

u Use Goldilocks approach for: food, water and temperature

u The Ohio State University (Edwards, Arancon) shows vermicompost suppresses attacks and damage by arthropod pests

Ø Sucking arthropods

v Mealy bugs, Aphids, Two-spotted spider mites

Ø Chewing insects

v Cabbage white caterpillars, Tomato hornworm, Cucumber beetles

B.

Kad

atz

Photos: Wikipedia

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More Notables on VermicompostFrom Ohio State University:

u Aqueous extracts from vermicomposts (teas) have suppressed plant pathogens such as: Plectosporium, Verticillium,and Rhizoctonia (fungal disesases)

u vermicomposts can suppress attacks and damage by plant parasitic nematodes

u EARTHWORMS are a high protein source for animal feed(fish, poultry, pigs)

Ø excellent range of vitamins

Ø rich in niacin

Ø unusual source of vitamin B12

u Intestinal flora of earthworms is different than food source ⇒ efficacy

u Some worm castings contain chitinase, enzymes that are known to deter insects (source: Davelyorganics.com, South Africa)

Ø Created by feeding worms a chitan source (prawn and crab shells)

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Bokashi Composting Basicsu Fermentation process - sauerkraut

u Finished product is very similar to starting material

u 2 stage process

Ø 1st stage: Fermentation

Ø 2nd stage: Incorporation into the soil

u Age-old technique used around the world

u Dr Higia (University of Okinawa, Japan) saw significant improvements to the soil with the addition of a group of organisms:

Ø Lactic Acid Bacteria, Yeasts, Actinomycetes and Purple non-Sulfur Bacteria

Ø Organisms work together synergistically

Ø the foundational group of organisms in all “Effective Microorganism’s” (EM) products

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How to Make Bokashi Compostu Chop food waste into small piecesu Transfer to bokashi fermenteru Coat waste with an EM inoculated substrate ie –wheat bran

Ø 9 parts waste, 1 part inoculum

u Tamp (gently) to expel airu Drain accumulated liquid (broth) regularly (2-3days) from bokashi bin

Ø use broth as a soil drench or foliar feed for your plants

Ø * Must dilute: ratio (1:100 or 1cup/20L) *

u Repeat waste additions until bokashi bin is fullu Leave undisturbed for 2 weeks to allow all materials to ferment

u Properly fermented bokashi will have white feathery filament on the surfaceu Dig a hole or trench in your garden to deposit solids.u Dump solid bokashi compost in hole, mix with some soil and cover. Compost will be

completely assimilated in a few weeks.

Phot

os:

B.

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atz

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Bokashi Composting Notables

u You can compost all types of food waste, including meat, cheese, dairy and bread

u No calculations for mixing greens & browns

u No turning or extra water required

u No insect or rodent issues

u Low to no odor

u Nutrients are retained (acts as a slow release fertilizer)

u Bokashi Process is fully scalable

u Bokashi composting is fast

u Finished product is full of beneficial soil microorganisms

u Process that is closest to how Nature composts

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Evaluating Compost

u Ask the origin of the feedstock – provides clues

u Request a nutrient analysis

Ø For the current product/lot, not last years

Ø pH, EC, Major nutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg)

Ø micro-nutrients (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, B, Si, Mo)

u Request a biological analysis

Ø Microbial biomass (Total & Active)

Ø Fungal biomass (Total & Active)

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Comparison of Different Composts -Chemically

u 3 Different Composts

ØThermal Compost

ØVermicompostØBokashi Compost

Study 1: The Use Of Bokashi As A Soil Fertility Amendment In Organic Spinach Cultivation:Dana Mae Christel, Masters Thesis University of Vermont (2017)

Study 2: Vermicomposting Guide H-164 Revised by John Allen, NEW Mexico State University

u 2 Different Composts

ØThermal Compost

ØVermicompost

Note: Feedstocks different for all composts

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ParameterWorm

compost (V)Thermal

Compost (V)Bokashi (V)

pH 6.7 7.5 4.5

EC (mS cm-1) 4.71 2.16 5.08

Nitrogen % (Total) 0.48 0.0044 0.011

Nitrogen % (Nitrate)

0.475 0.0034 0.004

Phosphorous % 0.27 0.09 0.37

Potassium % 2.22 0.49 0.63

Calcium % 0.99 0.69 0.062

Sodium % 0.59 0.14 0.24

Magnesium % 0.423 0.16 0.18

Iron (ppm) 0 3.90 14.4

Zinc (ppm) - 5.00 22.6

Manganese (ppm) - 65.0 42.5

Study 1: Vermont Thesis (V)

Note: Feedstocks different for all composts

Study 2: New Mexico State (NM)

Worm Compost (NM)

Garden Compost (NM)

6.8 7.8

11.7 3.6

1.2 0.8

0.09 0.016

0.47 0.35

0.7 0.48

4.4 2.27

0.02 <0.01

0.47 0.57

0.76 1.17

280 130

480 410

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Evaluating Compost - Biological Tests

u Solvita Compost Maturity Test:

Ø based on production of CO2 and NH3

Ø 4 Hr to complete ~$30/sample

u microBIOMETER -NEW-

Ø measures microbial biomass - colorimetric –

Ø Uses cellphone and an APP

Ø Cost about $25/sample

u Soil Foodweb (Dr. Elaine Ingham) - CARA’s Soil Health Lab – Oyen, AB

u Microscopic counts and speciation

u Can analyze bacteria, fungal and protozoa

u $40 and up

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Compost Cautions

u Growing body of evidence revealing the toxic impacts of glyphosate

u not as quickly broken down – very few organisms

u Intermediate compound AMPA more toxic than glyphosate and stays longer in the environment (yrs)

u Consider Residue Testing - Glyphosate test

Ø Quantitative: Alberta Innotech, Eurofins (est $300+)

Ø Qualitative: Abraxis Strip test (DIY) (est <$100)

u Environment Canada: Biological test method for toxicity of contaminated soil to earthworms (Eisenia andrei, Eisenia fetida, or Lumbricus terrestris), EPS 1/RM/43)

Ø Expose compost worms to test material

Ø If worms stay in container and don’t die, test material is non-toxic

Ø If the worms run for the hills, so should you

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DIY worm evaluation test - Materials10 healthy adult compost worms LED light

Count live worms after 3 daysTarget is 90-100% survival

Com

pos

t M

oist

ure

Te

ste

r

Lee

Val

ley

Tool

s: $

52.5

0

50 – 70%

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Compost Enhancementu Micro nutrients: Rock powders

u Source of Carbon

Ø LeonarditeØ Oxidized form low grade coal

Ø rich source of humic acid

Ø Black Earth Humates - Ryley

Ø Biochar

Ø Coffee grounds – low grade form of biochar

Ø Wood Ash great source of potash

Ø Best to incorporate with bokashi compost

Ø Microbial Inoculants – EMB

egin

nin

gC

urin

g Stage

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Application Strategies –What is the best Compost to Use?

u Generally, can’t go wrong using compost

u Make sure that it is not toxic - testing is a must

u Select different composts to enhance performance

Ø Germination – worm extract or vermicompost (max 1/3 of compost)

Ø Production quantity and quality - bokashi

Ø Pest control - worm extract and vermicompost

Ø Organic matter – thermal compost

u Keep records of what you are doing to compare year to year results

u Identify simple parameters that will serve as a good metric

u Brix (sugar content), earthworm counts /ft3

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Summaryu Three type composts: Thermal Compost, Vermicompost & Bokashi Compost

u All types of compost are good soil amendments

u Can use compost strategically for:

Ø Germination

Ø Pest control

Ø Production quality and quantity

Ø Soil enhancement

u Nutrient Quality of the compost regardless of process is largely dependent on the starting materials

u Request chemical and biologically assays when purchasing compost

u Good biological test is the DIY worm assay

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References

u Field Guide to On-Farm Composting NRAES-114: Mark Dougherty

u Guideline for Compost Quality PN 1340; CCME

u Compost Calculator for Windows and IOS http://compostingtechnology.com/resources/compost-calculator-tool/ $70US

u Free Compost Calculators from Washington State, Cornell University etc – use

Excel spreadsheets.

u Korean Natural Farming – Dr. Cho

u Bokashi Composting – Adam Footer

u OACC Manual of On-farm Vermicomposting and Vermiculture – Glenn Munroe https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/faculty/agriculture/oacc/en/soil/Vermiculture_FarmersManual_gm.pdf

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Questions

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Thank You

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