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Inter Aide Agro-Phalombe PO Box 318 Zomba

IMPROVEMENT OF SOIL PROPERTIES Compost and manure making

Trainer's guideline
Laurence Mathieu-Colas and Goulven Le Bahers* Laston Maxwell Makina** September 2009

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Introduction
Ask the "ar#ers: What are the advantages o the !hemi!a" erti"i#ers$ Faci$itate the answers: %t quick$& supp$ies a crop with nutrients an there"ore he$ps the p$ant i##e iate$&' %t requires $ess work than or!anic "erti$i(ers' Ask the "ar#ers: What are the disadvantages o the !hemi!a" erti"i#ers$ Faci$itate the answers: %t is too e)pensive' %t is use up *& the en o" the season an the soi$ is !ettin! poorer an poorer there"ore+ there is a nee o" usin! #ore an #ore "erti$i(ers each an ever& &ear. Ask the "ar#ers: %o& !an the' so"ve this pro("em$ Faci$itate the answers: ,& usin! or!anic #atters. E)p"ain &hat organi! matter is* -he or!anic #atter consists o" "resh or!anic #atter an hu#us. %t has the "o$$owin! properties: it i#proves the soi$ structure' it i#proves the resistance o" the soi$ a!ainst the erosive action o" rain an win ' it retains water an re$eases it s$ow$&+ so that water is avai$a*$e to the p$ants over a $on! perio ' it contains the #ain nutrients: nitro!en .N/+ phosphorus .P/ an potassiu# .0/ which *eco#e avai$a*$e to the p$ants a"ter eco#position. 1oreover+ i" the "ar#ers use che#ica$ "erti$i(er+ the presence o" or!anic #ateria$ ensures that the che#ica$ "erti$i(er is #ore e""icient$& uti$i(e *& the crop. Or!anic #atter retains p$ant nutrients an thus prevents the "erti$i(er "ro# *ein! washe awa&. Ask the "ar#ers: %o& !an 'ou in!rease the organi! matters in 'our ie"d$ Faci$itate the answers: A!ro"orestr& .the $eaves o" $e!u#inous trees increase the soi$ "erti$it&/' 2o#post / #anure to a&+ we wi$$ ea$ with co#post+ which is the easiest #etho "or "ar#ers

Compost
Ask the "ar#ers: What is !ompost$ Faci$itate the answer: %t consists o" or!anic #ateria$ in eco#position. Or!anic #ateria$ is co$$ecte an pre"era*$& stacke in a heap+ in or er to "avour the eco#position process. -he en pro uct is stron!$& eca&e or!anic #atter with hu#us an nutrients: this is the co#post. %t can *e use as an or!anic "erti$i(er that can *e a e to the soi$' Ferti$i(in! with co#post #eans+ apart "ro# "erti$i(in! the p$ants+ a$so #akin! use o" the !oo properties o" or!anic #ateria$: a in! co#post to san & soi$s increases the water retention capacit& .water re#ains $on!er in the soi$ an is avai$a*$e to p$ants "or a $on! ti#e in perio s o" rou!ht/ / in a#*o areas+ a in! co#post i#proves the soi$ structure which "avour the raina!e in case o" too #uch rains. Ask the "ar#ers: Whi!h methods do 'ou kno&$ For each #etho + ask "ar#ers to escri*e it. -hen+ te$$ the "ar#ers that there are in ee #an& wa&s o" #akin! co#post an that the ones *ein! practice #ost$& are: the 2hinese+ the 2hi#ato .,an!a$ore/ an the Pit #etho s.

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! The Chinese method

Now that &ou have iscusse a*out the i""erent #etho s with the "ar#ers+ start e)p"aining the Chinese method dire!t"' (' a demonstration: 3. Ask the "ar#ers to c$ear a site o" 4 square #eters' 5. Ask the "ar#ers to #ark a circ$e o" 3.6 to 5 #eters ia#eter "or *ase o" the heap' You can explain to the farmers that the recommended size for a compost heap should be 1 to 2 cubic meters: if it is too small, it loses much heat and the microbes do not perform fast / on the contrary, if the heap is too big, the heap has too poor entilation and the decomposition is also slo!ed do!n" You can also explain that the shape of the heap should be conical, in order to fa our the drainage of rain !ater, to fa our entilation and heat conser ation as !ell as #eeping the heap from sogginess" 7. Ask the "ar#ers to s$ice the crop resi ues+ !rass or $eaves an to sprea it within the circ$e to a thickness o" 58c# as a *ase' 4. -hen+ scatter on the *ase the chicken $itter to a thickness 7c# .catt$e un! 6c# / kho$a *e 38c#/' 6. -e$$ the "ar#ers to water the *e an #ake sure that ever& part has *een watere a equate$&' e)p$ain that there wi$$ *e s$ow eco#position i" the co#post is too r& or o our i" it is too wet' 9. :top waterin! when "in!ers "ee$ wet as squee(in! co#post #ateria$s *etween the#' ;. Ask the "ar#ers to repeat steps 7 to 9 "or each $a&er' whi$e the& are oin! it+ ensure that each $a&er is "$at an !ettin! narrower to "or# a conica$ heap o" 3.6 to 5# hi!h' <. -he $ast $a&er shou$ *e o" s$ow-to-rot #ateria$ to *u""er escape o" nitro!en an then the shape o" the heap shou$ *e #o i"ie s#ooth$&. Now that the heap is one practica$$&+ &ou can !o "urther with so#e e)p$anations: =urin! eco#position+ the co#post heap usua$$& has 7 istinct $a&ers .see rawin! *e$ow/: -he out $a&er A: it consists o" un eco#pose #ateria$s since there is not enou!h heat' -he #i $e $a&er ,: it consists o" eco#posin! #ateria$s since the con itions are i ea$' -he inner $a&er 2: it consists o" partia$$& eco#pose #ateria$s since there is not enou!h areation. %n or er to aerate the #ateria$s "or a equate eco#position an to prevent overheatin! within the heap+ the Chinese method re+uires turning the heap a ter ever' , &eeks+ unti$ it is rea & "or use. -he co#post wi$$ #ature within 6 to 9 weeks.

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"! The Bangalore or Chimato method

-he heap is constructe in a si#i$ar wa& to the 2hinese #etho . >ere too+ a co#post heap o" severa$ $a&ers set up. %t i""ers "ro# the 2hinese #etho in the "o$$owin! #anner: a"ter co#p$etion o" the heap+ it is co#p$ete$& covere with #u + thus c$osin! it o"" "ro# the outsi e air. $d antages: there is no nee to turn the heap ever& 5 weeks .$ess work to o/ %isad antages: eco#position is #uch s$ower' there"ore+ it takes $on!er *e"ore co#post is "or#e than in the 2hinese #etho + a$thou!h the qua$it& o" the co#post is a*out the sa#e.

#! $it compositing
-his #etho invo$ves #akin! co#post in pits that have *een u!. A t&pica$ pit #easure 3.6 to 5# wi e+ 68c# eep an o" an& $en!th. O"ten severa$ trenches are u! ne)t to each other+ which a$$ows turnin! "ro# one pit to the ne)t .ever& 5 weeks/. 1ateria$s shou$ *e put in the pit in $a&ers as "or the other #etho s a*ove an water shou$ *e app$ie on *e"ore the $a&er o" soi$ which sea$s the pit.
Material re%uired &or the training' .to *e prepare in a vance/ Or!anic #ateria$s: o 5 cu*ic #eters o" "i*rous+ woo & .*ut not too woo &/ or !rass& #ateria$s such as crop resi ues' o 3 *a! o" chickens roppin!+ kho$a *e s or cow un!' ?ater: the a#ount require to #ake 3 heap epen s on the nature o" #ateria$s an weather' -oo$s: o o o o o o ?hee$ *arrow+ *a! or *asket "or co$$ectin! or!anic #ateria$s' Pan!a kni"es "or cuttin! !rass / crop resi ues into s#a$$ pieces' ?aterin! can' :hove$ or hoe' :trin! .$oca$/' 5# stick.

& 'aurence (athieu)*olas and +oul en 'e ,ahers, agronomist, managed the food security pro-ect .$gro)/halombe0 in (ala!i from $pril 2001 to $pril 2010" && 'aston (ax!ell (a#ina is the field coordinator of the food security pro-ect .$gro)/halombe0 since September 2001"
23his document has been produced !ith the financial assistance of the 4uropean 5nion" 3he contents of this document are the sole responsibility of 6nter $ide and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the 4uropean 5nion"2

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