Mushroom Culture

Qualities of a good Compost

Qualities of a good Compost:

• Compost should be dark brown in colour with profuse fire fangs.
• Compost should have moisture percentage of about 68-70 percent.
• pH of the compost should be in the range of 7.2-7.8.
• There should not be any smell of ammonia.
• It should not be sticky or greasy.
• It should be free from insects and nematodes.

This method has got certain advantages over long method of composting as detailed below :

• More compost per unit weight of ingredients is produced .
• Total period of composting is reduced
• The yield is almost doubled
• All the harmful fungi, competitor moulds, insects, nematodes and other pathogens get killed during pasteurization which otherwise cause reduction in yield
• Most part of Ammonia liberated is converted into microbial protein which otherwise go waste in long method of composting.
• Conditions inside a pasteurization chamber favour proper temperature and aeration resulting in the preparation of good quality compost free from all types of harmful microorganisms .

3. Bulk pasteurization method:

It is similar to the short or pasteurization method of composting but in a modified form of technology. Here after phase -1 of composting, compost is treated / pasteurized in bulk inside a specially built chamber known as the chamber or tunnel in Phase –II .

The diagram of a Bulk Pasteurization Chamber (Tunnel) showing the compost after Phase-1, filled in the chamber having ducts for fresh air entry and the slanting floor with grated plenum and blower fitted underground

Pasteurization chamber/Tunnel of a Bulk Pasteurization Chamber showing grated panel (1) and compost after phase-I being filled in the chamber for pasteurization process or Phase II (2)

Showing the outer part of a bulk pasteurization chamber with its door closed and air handling unit (3) and the blowers fitted outside the pasteurization chamber

The bulk pasteurization method is again having some advantages over the short or pasteurization method of composting :

• More compost per unit size of the room can be treated at a time.
• Facilitates the preparation of best quality compost.
• The cost of pasteurization is reduced.
• Yield per unit weight of compost is much higher
• Labour cost is reduced.
• The heat generated by compost is utilized for its further pasteurization, hence cost of diesel, electricity or fuel is reduced.
• Spawn running can also be done in the tunnel itself thus reducing the cost and saving of time
• Environmental pollution is very much reduced