Composting

A Manual for Improving Soil Fertility and Health in Pakistan Through

Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management Practices for Farmers
Wajid Ali, Amjad Khan, Kifayatullah, Muhammad Faisal Jan and Saba Shoukat
National Center of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar

Composting- A Manual for Improving Soil Fertility and Health in Pakistan

Through Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management Practices for
Farmers
Prepared By
Wajid Ali
Amjad Khan
Kifayatullah
Muhammad Faisal
Saba Shoukat

National Center of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar

nceg.upesh.edu.pk
First Edition, October, 2015
Copyrights 2015

Acknowledgements
The authors highly appreciate the support, help and advice extended by Dr Muhammad Aslam and Ms Nazia
Tahir of International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA). This work was carried out
under the project titled Improving Soil Fertility and Health in Pakistan through Demonstration and
Dissemination of Best Management Practices for Farmers conducted by National Center of Excellence in
Geology, University of Peshawar in collaboration with ICARDA with the financial and technical support of
United States Department of Agriculture. Further we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr M
Tahir Shah

(T.I.)

Director NCEG for his support and guidance. We would also like to thank Nisar Ali Shah,

Abdul Hassan, Arshad Farooq and Dr Muhammad Ishaq of Social Sciences Research Institute for their
valuable comments and suggestions.

Citation: Ali. W, Khan. A, Ullah. K, Faisal. M, and Shoukat. S. Composting- A Manual for Improving Soil
Fertility and Health in Pakistan through Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management Practices
for Farmers. 2015

Contents
Soil Health ...................................................................................................................................... 3
4Rs of Soil Health and Fertility ..................................................................................................... 3
Basics of Composting ..................................................................................................................... 4
General Rules of Thumb ................................................................................................................. 4
Brown Material ............................................................................................................................... 5
Green Material ................................................................................................................................ 6
Tank Method ................................................................................................................................... 7
Sequence of Layers ..................................................................................................................... 7
Compost Bins ................................................................................................................................ 10
Heap Composting.......................................................................................................................... 15
Steps in the Formation of Heap ................................................................................................. 15
Compost Tea ................................................................................................................................. 17
Benefits of Compost Tea ........................................................................................................... 17
Passive Compost Tea Preparation Method................................................................................ 18
Benefits of Aeration .................................................................................................................. 18
Compost Tea Application.......................................................................................................... 18
Compost Application Methods ..................................................................................................... 21
Compost Application Based on Fertilizer Recommendation .................................................... 21
Routine Application Rates ........................................................................................................ 22
Compost Trouble Shooting ........................................................................................................... 24
References ..................................................................................................................................... 25

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Soil Health
For soil to be fertile it needs to be healthy a healthy soil is full of microscopic life that helps cycle
nutrients and water efficiently for crop growth. Techniques that build soil organic matter help keep soils
well-nourished and better able to store moisture to help crops survive dry periods. Farmers can keep
soil healthy by disturbing it less, building up soil organic matter, using a legume in rotation, adding
organic manures, composts & Bio-fertilizers, and protecting the soil by leaving it covered with crop
residues. Help to nourish the life in your soil and improve the capacity of the soil to hold water and
nutrients for crops. Healthy soil builds soil fertility.

4Rs of Soil Health and Fertility

When soils are deficient in certain crop nutrients they have to be replenished to keep soil fertile. In case
these nutrients are added in soils in the form of chemical fertilizers, it is imperative to take care of 4 Rs
i.e. RIGHT kind of nutrients in RIGHT amount to be applied at RIGHT time with RIGHT method to
the crops to harvest the potential yield.

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Basics of Composting
The use of animal manure as a nutrient supplement in agriculture is an ancient and commonly
used practice. However, animal manure directly applied to soils takes too much time to
decompose. It is believed that direct manure application may take 3 years or more to contribute
its benefits. Chemical fertilizers on the other hand are costly and detrimental to environment.
Nutrients especially Nitrogen in the chemical fertilizers is easily leached away and carried away
by the surface water. Nitrates contamination of the groundwater is a well-known concern for
environmental scientists throughout the world. Some countries in order to curb the Nitrate
contamination of their groundwater resources monitor and regulate the input of Nitrate fertilizers
to agriculture fields. Composting is an artificially accelerated method of humus (final product of
decomposition referred to as Mature Compost) formation from organic waste material. Compost
is not only rich in Nitrates but also contain other macro and micro nutrients in smaller amounts.
The concentration of nutrients in compost, are variable and depend on the type of raw materials
used to prepare it. Mature compost helps in adding essential plant nutrients and organic matter.
Nitrates in compost leach slowly thus making it safe for both groundwater and surface water.
Composting may be aerobic or anaerobic. The presence of oxygen helps in speeding up the
decomposition process, thus making aerobic composting faster than the previous.
Two types of raw materials are used for manufacturing of compost i.e. Brown or Dry material
and Green materials. Brown material is the chief source of Carbon while Green material adds
Nitrates. Composting process depends on the decomposing (Good microbes) bacteria. Ideal C:N
ratio of the organic mixed raw material to start composting is 25 or 30:1. If ratio is wider add
nitrogenous material on small quantity of urea in it. If the C:N ratio is narrow than this please
add some more brown material in it. Temperature inside compost may rise up to 65 or 70oC
during active composting. When it cools down to surrounding temperature the compost is
complete.
Accelerants like super phosphate and effective microbes could be added to get a kick start.
Biogas slurry also serves as accelerants. Composting can be done in underground trenches or pits
or above ground by forming heaps. It can also be carried out in piles, tanks, barrels, or wire bins
etc.

General Rules of Thumb

1.
2.
3.
4.

The size of the compost pile shall not be less than 3 cubic feet.
No two composts are the same
Mature compost is either black or brown
Mature compost shall be granular or fine in texture

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5. The original raw materials shall not be recognizable in the final product.
6. It should smell like earth (foul smell means that the process is not yet complete)
7. Do not put ashes, cooked material, meat, bones, hair, or waste from carnivorous animals.
8. Moisture content shall not exceed 50 %
9. Minimum moisture level shall not fall below 40 %
10. pH shall be alkaline
11. Do not put pine needles, Tamarix leaves and fresh mango leaves in your compost piles.
12. The material size shall not exceed 2 inches, make sure to chop it as small as possible
13. Compost needs regular turning depending on the type of method. Turning helps in mixing
of the material and proper aeration
14. If your compost smells it means it has too much moisture, add some dry materials
15. If its too dry add some green material and water
16. Temperature rise in the compost is normal, the rise represent the enhanced microbial
activity
17. Temperature may reach maximum and fall steadily till the maturity of the compost.
Some examples of the raw materials are given below:

Brown Material
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Dry Plant Leaves

Sawdust
Twigs
Hay
Wheat Straw
Date Palm leaves or branches
Paper (do not add colored prints)

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Green Material
1.
2.
3.
4.

Grass clippings
Weeds (weeds plant with seeds shall be avoided)
Kitchen waste (avoid ashes, bones, meat and cooked stuff)
Animal manure (cow dung, chicken poop, buffalo, camels, the waste of Carnivores shall
be avoided)
5. Biogas slurry
All the green and brown materials shall be chopped in to small pieces using a chopper or
butchers knife. The size shall not exceed 2 inches. Smaller size makes it easy to
decompose.
Fresh animal manure is preferred, before application the manure shall be converted into
slurry by adding water and churning it.

Cow dung, vegetables scraps and

chopped grass as an example of green
material

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Tank Method
On a large scale compost can be prepared in a Tank. This method is a modification of the
NADEP Tank method. In this case the raw materials is added in to the tank in 2:1 ratio of Greens
to Browns to help curtail the quick moisture loss from the compost material owing to the dry air
of the arid regions. Using this method a 2.5 tons of compost could be manufactured in about
three months time. This method has an advantage of using dry and green plant material as a
mix. Some salient features of the Tank are given below:
1. The Tank is constructed from bricks or in certain cases from Mud.
2. All the sides of the Tank shall have pores/ spaces for aeration, a perforated PVC pipe
installed in the middle may provide further aeration to the pile.
3. The dimensions of the Tank shall be 3 meters (length), 2 m (width) and 1 meter (height)
4. Maximum time for the manufacturing of the compost is 3 months
5. The Tank shall be built near a water source and if possible it shall be in shade i.e. under a
tree.
6. 2 to 2.5 tons of compost could be manufactured in three months with the help of this
method.
7. The final C:N ratio of the compost is 10:1 or 15:1.

Sequence of Layers
The material shall be laid in alternate layers of brown and green materials. A 10 cm layer of
brown material is laid at the bottom of the tank. The next step is to spread a layer of green
material for example animal manure on top of the brown layer. This sequence shall continue till
the tank is filled. In total three layers of green material (20 cm) and four layers of brown material
(10 cm) are enough to fill the tank.
The tank could be covered with a plastic sheet or any other material to avoid loss of moisture.
The material in the tank shall be turned and mixed every month. Moisture levels and temperature
levels of the raw material should be checked every week by using a pipe or a stick (Feel
method).

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Dry Plant Materials

Cow Dung or Biogas Slurry
Dry Plant Materials
Cow Dung or Biogas Slurry
Dry Plant Materials
Cow Dung or Biogas Slurry
Dry Plant Materials
Schematic diagram of the sequence of raw materials with in the the tank.

Standard Dimensions for Tank construction

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Tank Constructed at Painthara Dera Ismail Khan

Farmer adding water to moisten his raw material in the Tank

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The pipe in the middle provides aeration and the plastic sheet helps in avoiding the loss of moisture and soaking with
rain.

Compost Bins
Compost bins or composters are containers used to hold the raw material during compost
preparation process. There are many options for composting containers that could be used to
build a bin from items available at home like wood, bricks or old metal fences. Barrels are also
used as composters or bins. Bins help in holding the pile of raw material intact, keeps it away
from the reach of pests, vermin and rodents.
The best size to reach optimal composting temperature is about 3 cubic feet. This rule applies to
all bins and piles except barrels or tumblers. For example a wire bin, or a bin constructed of
bricks shall have the capacity to hold a volume of 3 cubic feet of raw material.
The following method can be used in bins constructed of bricks, wood, wire bin, stacks, or in
barrels of various sizes and shapes:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Spread a layer of brown material (about 8 inches thick) at the bottom of the bin.
Then spread a layer of green material (4 inches thick) on top of the brown layer.
The above mentioned sequence shall continue till the bin is filled
Please note that the top and bottom layers in this sequence of layers shall be of brown
material
Always sprinkle some water on each layer.
A hand full of Super Phosphate and Urea could be added as accelerant to the bins.
Compost shall be turned every week (from top to bottom and side to side). It is
recommended to turn it daily if possible except for the first week.
Barrels shall be perforated using a drill machine. Each pore shall be 2 inches apart.
The barrels can also be converted in to Tumblers to make mixing and turning easy.

Top and Final layer of brown material in a barrel

Watch Out!
Your compost shall not be too wet or too dry. It shall feel like a wet sponge.
If your compost pile starts smelling, it means it is too wet. Add some brown
material to it.
If your compost dries up add some water to it.

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Barrels perforated to ensure aeration for compost

manufacturing

Chopping grass in to smaller pieces for compost preparation

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Useful equipment for turning and mixing of compost

Do not
put meat and cooked stuff
put color printed paper
put ash or bones
put excreta of carnivores
store your compost for very long
put weeds with mature seeds

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Left: Compost Bin made from Bricks, Right: A wire bin

for holding the compost pile notice the alternate layers
of brown and green material.

Left: A view of mature compost in a barrel, Right: A

farmer showing his mature compost, mature compost
could be brown or black.

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Heap Composting
For large scale composting an easy and low cost method is to prepare compost in heaps. In this
method a heap 10 feet wide, 3 to 5 feet high is formed by piling up the raw material. The
sequence and thickness of the layers is the same as in the tank method. The length of the heap
depends upon the amount of available material and could be increased at will. However, it shall
not be less than 6 feet.

Steps in the Formation of Heap

The first step in the formation of the heap is the construction of mat or a layer of material to
avoid contact with the underlying soil. This mat can be prepared using locally available material
like, hay, date palm leaves or by spreading a plastic sheet.

Farmer constructing the mat as base for heap

Afterwards the material is spread on the surface in alternate layers of brown and green material.
The first layer as usual shall be of brown material. The thickness of the brown layer shall not
exceed 10 cm. It is followed by a layer of green material 20 cm thick; the sequence is continued
until the desired height of 3 to 5 feet is achieved. Each layer is moistened by sprinkling water on
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it. Urea or DAP is also added to each layer as an accelerant. The total amount of DAP required
for a heap is 1.5 to 2 kg at most. The material is then covered with a plastic sheet to avoid
soaking by rain and loss of moisture from the heap. The heap shall be turned every week for
proper aeration.

Farmers spreading the second layer of heap, in this case they are using animal manure as
green material.

Farmers adding the final layer of brown material in this case saw dust

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Farmer sprinkling water on the brown layer, note the already prepared heap with a plastic sheet spread on top, for
avoiding moisture loss and soaking of the heap with rain.

Compost Tea
Compost tea is a product of compost itself. It is the liquid form of compost. It carries all the
nutrients and beneficial organisms contained by the compost from which it is made. The method
of compost tea preparation described here is called passive compost tea preparation.

Benefits of Compost Tea

1. Compost tea is a liquid extract of compost that contains plant growth compounds and
beneficial microorganisms.
2. It promotes plant and soil health.
3. Compost tea is a good overall plant health booster.
4. It provides nutrients for foliar or soil application
5. As a microbial inoculant via soil application it helps in building soil microbial
populations.

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Passive Compost Tea Preparation Method

In this method a solution 5:1 of water to compost is prepared following the steps given below:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Add compost (1 part) in a bag or cloth e.g. 1 kg of compost.

Dunk it in water (5 parts) e.g. 5 Liters of water.
Brew it for 6 days & churn it daily to aerate it properly.
When the solution starts smelling like yeast the compost tea is ready to be used for
application to soils.

Benefits of Aeration
1. Aerated teas offer greater immediate benefits than classic compost, manure, or other
home-made teas.
2. Just by applying air pump to a bucket of tea, amazing results can be achieved.
3. Instead of just brewing teas for quick valuable water soluble nutrients from the compost
or manure, aeration offers a larger population of beneficial aerobic bacteria and fungi in
the tea

Compost Tea Application

1. Compost tea can be applied directly to the root zone by soil drenching (a medium sized
plant requires about 2 cups of compost tea, irrigation is necessary after application of the
tea).
2. It can also be applied on a larger scale by further diluting the tea in to 10:1 ratio of water
to compost tea solution to a larger area.
3. It can be used as a foliar spray on the surface of the leaves (it should be applied at dawn
& dusk only). The foliar spray enhances leaf health.

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Left: Female farmer applying compost tea as a foliar spray on vegetable

leaves. Right: Male farmer spraying compost tea on his vegetable crop

Aeration of compost tea by using an air pump

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Compost Application Methods

Finished compost is dark or brown in color. It smells like earth and does not resemble its original
contents. The undecomposed material in the finished product can be sorted out. Compost could
be applied to all soils. It should be applied at the time of land preparation before planting.The
main objective of compost application is to enhance soil organic carbon levels, organic matter
and improvement in soil biology. It adds beneficial organisms to soils and improves moisture
retention capacity. Compost can be mixed with soil and also applied as mulch.

Compost Application Based on Fertilizer Recommendation

Fertilizer recommendations are based on the soil test results. Fertilizer recommendations are
usually based on the amount of Nitrate, P2O5 and K2O required per acre. Be sure to know about
the physical and chemical characteristics of the compost to be applied. Compost is a slow release
fertilizer; it is assumed that it releases about 20 % of N (plant available). For Phosphorous and
Potassium it is assumed that 40 % and 60 % shall be plant available respectively. The following
example shall elaborate the calculation of compost requirement in tons per acre based on
fertilizer recommendation.
Example: Calculation of the amount of compost required based on NPK requirement
According to the lab results an amount 45 Kg/acre of N, 18 Kg of P 2O5 is recommended for application. The compost
results show that it contains 1.7 % N, 1.3 % P2O5 and 1.5 % K2O. Calculate the amount of compost required?
Convert Kg to pounds.
First Step is the conversion of percentages in to pounds per ton
1.7 % N 20 = 34 lbs N/ton (15 Kg)
1.3 % P2O5 20 = 26 lbs/ton (12 kg)
1.5 % K2O 20 = 30 lbs/ton (13 Kg)
Second step is to correct for availability, multiply the amount in lbs/ton by the respective conversion factors.
34 lbs N/ton 0.2 = 7 lbs available N/ton
26 lbs P2O5/ton 0.4 = 10 lbs available P2O5/ton
30 lbs K2O/ton 0.6 = 18 lbs available K2O/ton
Divide the amount of fertilizer recommended by the amount of available nutrients for example in the case of Nitrate:
100 lbs N/acre 7 lbs available N /ton = 14 tons/acre of compost

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Routine Application Rates

In routine compost is applied as top spread on the soil to be amended and later on mixed
thoroughly with 4-6 inches of soil. The depth of the top spread varies according to the crop in
question. As most commercially available compost is measured in cubic yards the amount of
compost to be applied in cubic yards can be calculated using the following formula:
Amount of Compost needed in cubic yards = Depth of compost in inches Area of Plot in sq
feet 0.0031
where, 0.0031 is the conversion factor.

Example:
This example explains the amount of compost required for a plot 100 sq feet in size. The recommended depth of the
compost for perennials is 3-4 inches. Calculate the amount in cubic yards of compost.
Depth of Compost = 4 inches
Plot size = 100 sq feet
Conversion factor = 0.0031
4 100 0.0031 = 1.23 cubic yards

It is usually recommended that 15-25 tons of compost per ha is required for arable agriculture
practices. For fruit plants and trees compost is usually used as mulch. It is to be noted that the
mulch shall not be spread near the bark of the tree. Compost can also be applied at the bottom of
the pit dug for planting a tree. The layer of the mulch shall be at most 75 mm deep. Some general
rules of thumb are given below:
1. Before planting gardens add 4 to 8 inches thick layer of compost
2. Mix half () to 3 inches of compost on annual garden beds every year
3. For wheat, and corn spread the compost evenly in a field using tractor, afterwards mix the
compost in to the top soil before planting.
4. For row crops apply the compost in strips along the rows and work them into the soil
before planting.

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Compost can also be applied as a side spread to vegetables. Other routine application rates are
given in the table below:

Left: Farmer applying his mature compost as a

side spread, Right: Farmer applying Compost
tea via soil drenching to Okra.

Routine Application Rates Recommended for Some Crops

Type of Crop

Depth of Compost

Grass

2 inches; till in to a depth of 4 6 inches

Planting bed preparation

1 - 2 inches. Till in to a depth of 4 6 inches

Planting trees

Mix 1 to 3 inches of compost into backfill soil

Mulching around trees and shrubs

1 3 inches

Annual Application to Vegetable/ Flowers

3-inches of compost tilled at a depth of 6-8

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Compost Trouble Shooting

The following recommendations shall be kept in mind while composting organic materials.

50-60 % moisture is optimal, to provide a thin film of water around particles for
microbial activity

Too much moisture (> 60 %) forces the air out thus making it anaerobic, stinky and
results in the loss of nutrients from compost through leaching. The addition of dry raw
material to the pile and turning and mixing it properly is recommended in such cases/

Moisture levels less than 35-40 % inhibits microbial activity and slows down the process

Turning and mixing for is essential for proper aeration of compost piles.

Moisture levels of compost shall be judged by squeeze test.

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References
1. Field Guide to Compost Use, The United States Composting Council, website:
http://compostingcouncil.org accessed on 19th September, 2015.
2. Moon. P.(1997). Basic On Farm Composting. The Clean Washington Center, Seattle,
Washington.
3. Calculating Compost Application Rate Based on Fertilizer Needs available at
www.extension.colostate.edu/pubs
4. Colorado Master Gardener Garden Notes available at www.ext.colostate.edu

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This manual was developed for the project titled Improving Soil Fertility and Health in Pakistan
through Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management Practices for Farmers, carried
out in collaboration with International Center of Agriculture Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)
and United States Department Agriculture (USDA).

|National Center of Excellence in Geology| University of Peshawar| Peshawar |Pakistan|

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nceg.upesh.edu.pk