Compost
Improving the efficiency of the composting process.
Soil & More continuously performs research to further improve the efficiency of the composting process, specifically its applicability to small-scale farmers, to increase the quality of the final compost product with a specific focus on microbial disease resistance. Our research covers areas of microbiology, soil and plant nutrition as well as the soil’s structure.
Most micro-organisms needed throughout the composting process can be found in our natural environment. They can be integrated into the process through water, air, or the compost feedstock.
Although most necessary micro-organisms are already naturally present in the composting piles Soil & More uses a microbial starter to speed up the process and make sure that all beneficial organisms are present. A high diversity of organisms helps to maintain an active microbial population during the dynamic chemical and physical composting process.
Three important types of micro-organisms are important during the composting process: Bacteria, Fungi and Actinomycetes.
Bacteria: Bacteria are mostly related to the breakdown of easily degradable organic material. This mostly happens in the first phase of the composting process where the presence of microbial bacterial populations can reach an amount of over 1 billion organisms per gram of compost. Since bacteria are relatively small in size and mass, they do not contribute to the overall microbial mass as much as fungi. Bacteria also play an important role in the final stabilization phase of the composting process: They excrete organic exudates which can glue the organic particles and the soil particles together into aggregates. These bindings are important for a healthy structure of the compost as well as its physical properties.
Fungi: During the composting process, fungi chemically and mechanically break down organic material that is not so easily degradable, such as for instance lignins and cellulose. Their hyphae are long threads that can penetrate through the composting material. Fungi provide structure to the compost by stabilizing it with their hypea so that small aggregates are formed. These provide the compost with an improved aeration and drainage capacity. Per gram of soil there are between 10.000 and 1 million propagules (part of an organism that can reproduce). It is estimated that less than 10 percent of all fungi are described. About 1 million species still remain undiscovered or have not yet been further explored.
Actinomycetes: Actinomycetes are a form of bacteria. They can – making use of filaments or strands - move throughout the compost in colonies. They play a role in breaking down organic material that is not so easily degradable and release the chemical geosmin that causes the typical earthy smell of good compost.
High quality compost provides more than just nutrients to the soil. It supplies the agro-ecosystem with a diverse set of micro-organisms which can bring a lot of benefits to the grower. Soil & More therefore performs research to get a better understanding on the variety of micro-organisms in compost, their interaction with each other and the role they can play in the production of crops.