Characteristics of Organic Matter

ByAllah Dad Khan

Characteristics of Organic Matter

Characteristics of Organic Mattermatter is the key constituent of

cultivated soils.

It has profound influence on the physico-chemical and biological

characteristics of soil.

What is Organic Matter

• Soil organic matter is complex because it is heterogeneous (non-uniform) and, due to the biological factors under which it was formed, does not have a defined chemical or physical structure. Soil organic matter is not distributed evenly throughout the soil and breaks down at various rates by multiple agents that are influenced by the unique environmental conditions in which they are found. Soil organic matter is present in all soils all over the world. Just as all life on Earth is dependent on the processes of microorganisms, SOM is transformed and degraded as a result of soil microorganisms.

Chemical Composition of Organic Matter

1. Carbohydrates (sugar, starch, hemi-cellulose, pectins gums, mucilages, etc.)

2. Proteins, amino acids, amines, etc

3. Fats, oils, waxes, resins, etc.

4. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, etc.

5. Lignins

6. Compounds containing ring structure (phenol, tennis, hydrocarbon)

7. Alkaloids and compounds with organic base- pyrimidine and purines

8. Miscellaneous substances like antibiotics, auxins, vitamins, enzymes and pigments

Nutritive Elements in different Organic Matters

Organic matter Nutritive elements(%)

N P K

Cow dung manure 2.5 0.2 0.5

Compost urban 1.8 1.0 1.4

Compost rural 0.5 0.15 0.5

Night soil 5.5 4.0 2.0

Groundnut cake 7.3 2.5 2.0

Castor cake 4.3 2.4 2.3

Neem cake 5.2 1.0 1.8

sludge 3.5 4.0 0.6

Major sources of organic matterThere are mainly three types of Organic Matter

1. Livestock and human

waste

2. Farmyard manure

3. Poultry manure

1. Byproduct of agro -waste

industries2. Industrial

waste material

3. Sugar factory waste

4. Oil cake and bio gas

slurry

1. Plants waste

2. Crop residue

3. Tree residue and

aquatic weeds

4. Urban and rural waste

5. Sewage sludge

Organic matter Organic manureBiological oxidation

Animal manure Green manure

Conversion of organic matter into organic manure

Through biological oxidation organic matter convert into manure which may be two type by their origin

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A. Farm Yard Manure

Farm Yard Manure can be prepared by :

Cow dung,

Cow urine,

Waste straw and

Dairy waste, etc.

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Cow dung Manure

• Cow manure is rich in humus, the bulky and fibrous material that comes from undigested plant matter.

• Cow manure is composted by putting it into a bin or pile and letting it decompose

• It contains about 3 percent nitrogen, 2 percent phosphorous, and 1 percent potassium

Method of preparation of FYM

• Dig a pit (4×6×10) near cattle shed above the level of soil.

• Spread the excavated soil on the surface.

• Fill the pit with grass and other material of cake shed and soil upto 10-15cm.

• Spread cow dung manure up to 15-20 cm leave it for one to two month

Nutrient concentration in FYM

Nitrogen 0.5Phosphorus 0.25

Potassium 0.40Calcium 0.08Sulfur 0.02Zinc 0.004Copper 0.0003Manganese 0.007iron 0.45

Elements Value (%)

B. Farm Slurry

A mixture of water and animal waste used as fertilizer.

Farm slurry is produced at dairy farm at larger scale in rainy season.

It is highly nutritive for the plants.

2. Green Manures

Green manure is a type of cover crop grown primarily to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

They are grown for the purpose of plowing them, thus increasing fertility through the incorporation of nutrients and organic matter into the soil.

Organic Manure : An Overview

Benefits of Green Manure Crops

Green manure crops provide a habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Green manures, in the case of legumes, fix nitrogen and contribute to farm nitrogen needs.

It protect and enhance the soil’s biological activity by providing nutrition for the soil organism.

It aerates the soil, consequently improving the soil structure.

Green manure crops cover the soil in between successive grain crops, thus protecting the soil against wind and water erosion.

Green manure crops reduce soil compaction.

Advantages to increasing or maintaining a high level of SOM.

1. Reduced bulk density2. Increased aggregate stability3. Resistance to soil

compaction4. Enhanced fertility5. Reduced nutrient leaching6. Resistance to soil erosion7. Increased biological activity8. Reduction of greenhouse

gases by soil C sequestration

Role of soil organic matter in crop productivity

a. Cation exchange capacityb. Nutrient retention and release

c. Soil structure and bulk density

d. Water-holding and snow/drain catchment

e. Biological activity

Effect of agriculture on SOM

1. Carbon Sequestration 2. Tillage3. Cropping rotations 4. Fertilization

4.Fertilization

Fertilization affects the soil microbial community both directly and indirectly by supplying mineral nutrients for microbial use and by allowing increased production of plant biomass to serve as a microbial food source. A larger microbial community can result in either a net C increase or decrease to the soil system, depending on how much C stays in the soil system as microbial biomass versus how much is lost as respired C gases, because of course, a greater microbial community results in a greater amount of soil respiration

1.Carbon Sequestration

• Although the soil C cycle is complex, the concept of C sequestration for mitigating the release of greenhouse gases is relatively straightforward. Carbon stored in soils ties up C that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere as C-containing greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).

2.Tillage

Tillage is responsible for substantial loss of carbon from the soil. As carbon is released from the soil as a result of tillage, it leaves in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). The deeper and more aggressive the tillage, the more CO2 is released to the atmosphere.

3. Cropping Rotations

Crop rotations that include cover crops, perennial grasses and legumes, and reduced tillage are an important factor in SOM management and can be adapted to any cropping system. Crop rotations also affect the biological diversity of an agroecosystem. T

Factors affecting soil C loss from agricultural soils include:

1. Climate and soil type2. Tillage intensity and depth3. Crop rotation decisions4. Amount of organic inputs5. Amount of plant residue on

the soil surface6. Quality of plant residues

returned to the soil7. Soil biological activity8. Length and time of fallow9. Erosion

TURNING WASTE TO MANURE

Recycle the Waste and save Nature

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Bio-degradable waste

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Kitchen / Canteen Waste :unused vegetable cuttings,fruits peel offs, tea/coffee powder, coconut fiber

egg shells, non-veg waste, stale/left over /rotten food etc.

BIO- DEGRADABLE WASTE INCLUDES

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Flowers/garlands

Hair, cut nails

Excreta of the pet animal, cow dung etc.

Horticultural waste like dried leaves, mowed

grass, cut trees, up rooted weed.

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A typical Pot - Bio composting

Fibrous Material (like coconut fiber, cooler pads, Sugarcane bagas.)

2 inch layer of soil

Drain Hole

Bio-catalyst

Bio-degradable waste

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