Dear Dave Robison & Allan,
Both here at Wye College and at my University in Brazil we have
Controlled Composting Units using forced aeration (linked to thermostatic
control panels) for experimental purposes. This is also justified when
people/companies have shortage of space and surplus of money...e.g.,
Kent Southern Waters' sewage sludge composting. For farm conditions there
are simpler alternatives I mention below.
On Thu, 29 May 1997, BD Email List wrote:
> At 09:54 AM 5/23/97 -0400, MIke wrote:
>
> >My questions are:
> >
> > 1. I am nervous about not turning the pile since I am inexperienced
> >at constructing a good compost pile. I'm afraid it will go anaerobic or
> >start to ash at the bottom because it's too hot. Are these valid concerns
> >when using BD preps?
> >
> Heat wont get hot enough to go to ash, if it gets dry the heat stops being
> generated. BD preps were intended for farm manure (ie. dairy cows), how
> applicable is it to poultry? Can we get Will Brinton to answer these questions?
>
BD preps CAN be used in any compost and even liquid manure.
> > 1a. If yes, how do you avoid them?
> >
> Have you considered adding air? Pile the windrow over a run of perferated
> drain tile and connect an air blower to force air through the tile. Needs
> electricity to run the blower but shouldnt be too expensive.
>
> Dave Robison <drobison@teleport.com>
Aeration: pile up the Indore type heaps over 3 or 4 longitudinal poles
that you can shake slightly (by hand or with a front loader, depending
on the heap size/weight) getting the air to enter the heap from
below/centre - the most anaerobic part.
Windrowing once can be necessary to mix up the components, but this
can be done economically by taking the chance to transport the
fresh/half-way fermenting compost to the field where it will be
applied in a Muck-Spreader that rebuilds the mixed-up heap with
minimum labour input.
Cheers,
Geraldo DEFFUNE - G.Deffune@wye.ac.uk
Wye College - University of London
Sustainable Agriculture Research Group
Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH, England, U.K.
Tel.:(44-1233)813658 or 812401 ext.271/504; Fax: (44-1233)812855
WEB http://www.wye.ac.uk/agriculture/sargintro.html
PhD Student Xponsored by CNPq - The Brazilian Research Council