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You Need to Manage Your Manure!
• Maximize the agronomic and economic benefits of manure while reducing adverse environmental consequences
• Minimize manure problems with flies, odor, dust, parasite reinfection, spread of insect–borne diseases, fire danger, AND improve the view
Why Try Composting?
• Reduces volume of manure about 50%• Minimizes pathogen, weed, odor, and
insect problems• Stabilizes nitrogen and phosphorus
compounds which avoids water pollution• Produces a useful and saleable soil
amendment• Retain control of your waste stream
What You Need to Compost
• Manure, waste feed, bedding• Convenient and environmentally
appropriate site (away from wells, water)
• Source of water to wet compost• Equipment or hand tools• Knowledge of composting principles
METHODS OF COMPOSTING
• Active windrows: this presentation
• Passive windrows: CSU fact sheet*
• Worms : CSU fact sheet*
• Bins*some fact sheets here today; online:
www.ext.colostate.edu
Composting is the managed,biological, oxidation process that converts heterogeneous organic matter into a more homogeneous, fine-particled humus-like material. from FIELD GUIDE TO ON-FARM COMPOSTING
MANAGED: what YOU do!
• Provide carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in 30:1 ratio
• Provide oxygen for oxidation process at 5-20%
• Provide water to keep moisture at 50%
BIOLOGICAL:what microorganisms (MO’s) do
• Many species of bacteria and fungi metabolize the C and N to grow and multiply, using oxygen and water in the process
• Composting is farming MO’s, which are present in the soil!
OXIDATION
• “In the presence of air” • Used by MO in respiration• Oxygen is in pore space in
compost windrow • Use bulking material and turn
to maintain pore space for air
Heterogeneous Organic Matter
• Horse manure• Bedding• Waste hay• Spoiled feed or grain• Leaves and grass clippings• Kitchen scraps
Choose a site
• Mowed area, smooth, slightly sloping
• Near manure source• Near water tap BUT at least 100 ft,
from “waters of the state” or wells• Control run-on and run-off• Table for area needed in fact sheet
on active windrows
BUILDING THE WINDROW
• Layer manure loosely with bulking material, adding water to 50%
• Work end view into rectangular shape like loaf of bread, top flattened
• Add new material at one end only
Add plenty of water until pile is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Composting organisms
need moisture to work.
MONITOR WINDROW
• Check temperature with compost thermometer (www.reotemp.com) or your hand
• Heat is an indicator of biological activity of microorganisms
• Observe heating cycle: temperatures increase then decrease several times
• After a decrease, turn windrow to aerate; add water if needed
Relationship of Time and Temperature to Compost Turning
0
20
40
60
80
1 00
1 20
1 40
1 60
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 2 1 3 1 4
Days from First Building or Turning
Tem
pera
ture
(Deg
. F)
Height and width of windrow depends on equipment!
4-6’tall-
HOT AREA
6 - 10 feet wide (?)
END VIEW OF COMPOST WINDROW
The temperature will rise to over 140º in a newly built pile, which will kill most weed
seeds and pathogens.
Continued Monitoring…
• After turning, monitor heat cycle again
• Turn when temperature decreases• Check water; Add if necessary• Repeat turnings until temperature
ceases to rise (about 4 turning cycles)
CURING PHASE
• When temperatures cease rising, mesophilic (mid-temperature) MO’s take over to finish process
• Keep windrow moist, less than 50%• Takes 1-2 months• Compost becomes homogenous,
dark
Why cure?
• Assures highest quality product• pH shifts to neutral• Soil MO’s recolonize compost, impart
disease suppressing qualities to compost
• If too much C left, use of this compost as a soil amendment may cause a temporary N deficiency, just the opposite of what you want!
When is my compost done?
• After heating cycles stop• After curing• Check for homogenous, fine-particled
humus-like appearance• Earthy smell• Maturity tests: Solvita test* (do-it-
yourself ), experience, confirmation by testing at a soil lab*www.woodsend.org
How can compost be used?
• As a soil amendment to increase soil organic matter, fertility, water holding capacity
• Use as topdressing for pastures,lawns, gardens, shrubs, trees
• Make compost tea (new area)• Stall bedding• Sell to landscapers
REFERENCES• Visit our website at
www.manuremanagement.info• Composting* from Rodale press (good
place to start, good reference, at the library)
• On-Farm Composting,* NRCS (order CSU)• Visit www.CSUag.com
– Go to Cooperative Extension, Publications, Fact Sheets!
*sample copy on display
Dr. Jessica Davis, extension manure management specialist:
Soil and Crop Sciences Department, CSU