Report on Soil Compost
Elissa Gowika Hartanto
S10158966
2GO1
Introduction
(Organic Mechanic, 2013)
Soil compost is a key component to plant growth. It is the decayed material from organic substances under influence of high oxygen content. Decaying or dead leaves are also another alternative as a good compost. These materials can be broken down naturally or by organisms such as earthworms. (Margaret Cunningham, n.d.) In this report, the importance and benefits of compost will be discussed, such as the nutrient available in compost, provides more land space for a more useful purpose instead of a landfill, the health advantages and encourages micro biodiversity.
Importance & Benefits
1. Providing nutrients to the soil and prevent weeds
Nutrient providence is an important factor in plant growth. It determines the health of the plant and its overall longevity.
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Composts such as eggshells provide micro nutrients like calcium, (Silven, 2010) while there are composts that do not serve any nutritional benefits, like pulp made from soaked paper pieces, which has a pro of providing efficient mulching, which is able to prevent weeds from spreading or even growing in the area of mulching. (Alton G. Campbella, 2013) Another compost that provides a mulching capability but also provides a nutritional benefit is coco peat. The structure and texture of the coco peat allows prevention of weeds from growing in the area, due to its tangled-like form. With a layer of coco peat above it, it is also harder for weeds to grow towards the sunlight. It is also able to hold the soil well with the water holding properties which can help with plant structure. Coco peat is also derived from the husks of coconut shells, which is rich in fibre, thus also providing nutrients to the plants and also allows good water retention. (B.,
In elementary school, we are taught by our teachers that fruit peels can be composted to recycle nutrients back into the soil where they came from. Composting food scraps is not a new idea by any means, but what if it was to be expanded into something much bigger? Recently, a study outlining the environmental impact of recycling digested food waste in comparison to that of chemical fertilizer was published by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. In the experiment, the scientists found that currently, the two were relatively equal in terms of general environmental impact, and that in order for the food waste fertilizer to prevail, further enhancements will have to be made to
Three substances mainly make fertilisers: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Their percentage in the solution will change the effectiveness on a decisive plant; for example it is recommended to use high proportion of nitrogen fertilizers during the spring growth of spurts. Fertilisers can be spitted in two categories: organic that contains a low level of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and aren’t toxic to the environment and synthetic that are made with a high concentration of the three substances and can be corrosive to the environment if overused. Looking closely at the three chemicals: nitrogen is considered the most important substance of a fertilizer, it contributes to the greening of the leaves and their growth. Phosphorous’ job is to enhance the growth of roots, seeds and flowers.
Nitrogen can be considered as both a fertilizer and nutrient under the right constraints. I will use citrus plants as one of my examples. For citrus growers applying nitrogen to plants is a common and needed practice. “Spring is the best time to apply nitrogen to citrus. Research has shown that the demand for nitrogen in citrus is highest from bloom through June and most of the supplemental nitrogen fertilizer should be applied during this time period.” It is a major key to plant growth and development. Nitrogen is crucial to citrus plants for optimal growth and yield. Without nitrogen you can see suffering results for many years down the road.
We need to stay away from the landfills as much as we can so eventually we can get rid of them all together. The benefits of compost include increased soil organic matter content, nutrients for plant growth, replacement of peat moss in potting media, reduced erosion, plant disease resistance, weed suppression and generally improved plant vigor (Barlaz 62). Instead of taking grass clippings to the trash people can leave them laying in the yard to decompose or they can use them to help make their compost. People can even make their own composting bins to use at their homes. There are several reasons why people should compost. If people start composting they can keep their garbage, yard trimmings or leaves from getting to the landfills. Which in turn will keep those things from getting in our water or water supplies. If these things get in our waterways or water treatment facilities it just makes more work for other people. Also by composting people will help their plants look healthier. Sharon Durham talks about manure, composting and how it effects the soil in her article, “Improving on a Time-Tested Technique.” Durham says, “Composting results in stabilization of nitrogen in organic form for use in soil” (20). The soil the plant is grown in will be better and help the plants produce better if you are growing food. “Compost may even be tailor-made to reduce phosphorus availability and
My group, fertilizer group 3, is testing the variables of plant color and number of leaves. Fertilizer can affect that drastically! Those two variables are basically what determine a healthy plant. Fertilizer can help to boost the minerals in the soil and give the plant what it needs to survive and be healthy.
increased levels of proteins in crops. It is also beneficial by helping the plants to be
A school of 200 students give or take could create up to 75 lb of compost waste each week,that's over 3,000 pounds a year! By switching over to a compost it would generate life goals and practices that help young adults and kids become great individuals. compost teaches kids about the environment, new ways to reduce landfill waste, and creative fun ways to get rid of your trash at home.
Anyone who takes care of plants knows that nitrates and phosphates are important ingredients in fertilizers. Most photosynthesizers have a few critical molecules that contain other materials as well, such as iron, or need small ions, such as sodium, for some of their chemical processes.
All of the plants in the nightshade family are nitrogen containing plants, including nicotine. Nitrogen is the second most important supplements for plant growth, below water. Nitrogen can be found in many different forms. It moves around natural ecosystems through the nitrogen cycle. The different forms of nitrogen decide its whether or not it is available to plants or whether it escapes and is no longer able to provide plants. The amount of useable nitrogen and the percent that is lost from the soil affects the supportability of productivity. If it is mishandled it is possible to have economic loss to the producer and have an environmental
Vermicomposting is worm composting, it’s a great way to recycle your carrot peelings, eggshells, coffee grinds, and used paper towels. Red wiggler worms can eat their body weight in food each day. As they eat, the worms create castings that are nutrient-rich organic matter. When castings mix with decomposed organic matter you wind up with compost full of beneficial microbes and nutrients that, when spread on a garden, help feed, nourish, and protect growing plants. According to a 1998 article in Bio-resource Technology, vermicompost is compared with high-grade horticultural compost "has desirable aesthetics, has reduced levels of contaminants and tends to hold more nutrients over a longer period, without impacting the environment. “It’s a win for everyone! In this document
Composting is the process of biodegrading the waste material in which an enormous number of materials like hydrocarbons, nitrogenous compounds, acids, their derivatives and even other organic and inorganic substances can be remediated from the environment (Finstein et al., 1986). Compost pro...
Compost is an easy solution to eliminating the waste that our environment brings, while at the same time, providing many benefits to us, and the environment. By using compost, it improves our plant growth by enriching the soil that it drinks its nutrients from. It helps us avoid buying soil amendments such as peat, bark mulch and bagged manure. Compost also loosens the heavy clay that is in our soil, while improving the capacity to hold water and adding essential nutrients.
Farmers apply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, and potassium in the form of fertilizers to produce a better product for the consumers. When these sources exceed the plants needs or if these nutrients are applied before a heavy rain then the opportunity for these excess to wash into aquatic ecosystems exists.
The effect of soil salinity in plant growth is part of botany, the study of plants.
When studying plant nutrition, it is important to analyze the sources of the nutrition. Plants absorb their nutrients using their roots in the soil, however soil is not a uniform nutritive source. The plant’s wellbeing depends greatly on the quality, composition, and thickness of the soil. To help categorize such a broad topic, scientists have implemented a naming scheme for the different levels of soil. The first layer is closest to ...