Compost-making

Playb created using Soil Vasu's resources

  1. What need/ pain point is this playbook addressing?

Creating an organic manure essential to the soil.

Farmyard Manure (FYM) is not easily available

Drawbacks of FYM

  • FYM is not easily available for many small-holder rainfed farmers – a cheaper and accessible alternative is composting.

  • takes a year to make.

  • no clear proportions of material, some toxic material also ends up entering the compost.

  • Weed seeds also get into the heap and then these germinate when you apply compost to the farm.

  • Plant pathogens also remain active in FYM and can affect crops negatively when manure is applied.

Farmers are not very aware of composting – gaps in Knowledge, resource, execution at ground level – this playbook can fill this gap.

  1. Who can use the playbook?

Anyone who is going to directly train farmer(s) to do composting

Primary: Trainers of Trainers and Community Resource Persons

Secondary: students, farmers, general public

  1. What are the benefits to stakeholders?

Compost:

  • is a great recycler

  • builds soils structure

  • forms aggregation

  • holds moisture

  • stops soil erosion

  • improves aeration in the soil

  • provide nutrients when plants need them

  • attracts positive elements and minerals

  • attracts microorganisms

  • stimulates plant growth

  • transforms agricultural waste into humus - the nutrient-rich end product that makes soil appear dark, hold more moisture, and allows better aeration for plants and soil organisms.

Benefits of Compost

• Neutralises the toxins

• helps plants to overcome soil pH levels that are too low (acidic) or too high (alkaline)

• Invite worms and beneficial microorganisms to the soil

• Growth Stimulator

• Compost combats rain erosion

• Manages crop diseases

  1. Who created this playbook?

Created using Soil Vasu’s resources.

  1. Where and when has this been tried successfully?

    1. Nanjungoad, Bellary, Magadi- ICRA

    2. Chitradurga

    3. Challakere

    4. Parts of Mysuru

    5. Chamrajnagar - Punarchith

    6. Kolar - Gram Vikas

    7. Maharashtra - Kaneri Math

    8. Gujarat

    9. Lucknow, UP

    10. Rajasthan

    11. Odisha

Where rainfed farmers are working with land where topsoil is fully eroded

Both Red and black soil - applicable to Deccan Plateau

Case studies across many districts

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