Quality Characteristics of Livestock Feces Composts Commercially Produced in Gyeonggi Province in 2008

Abstract

This survey was conducted to promote the environment-friendly use and recycling of livestock feces by obtaining information about the current state of livestock feces composts manufactured in Gyeonggi Province. Therefore, some aspects of quality and manufacturing techniques of livestock feces composts (LFCs) were examined especially in relation to the LFCs quality standard (LQS). By surveying the 70 composting plants in Gyeonggi Province, the total commercial production of LFCs in 2008 was estimated to be about <TEX>$480,000Mg\;year^{-1}$</TEX> and they were manufactured mainly by using both mechanical mixer and bottom air blower. LFCs were composed mainly of chicken feces 29.2%, pig+chicken feces 23.1%, pig feces 20.0%, livestock feces+oil cake 12.3%, pig+chicken+cattle feces 10.8% and pig+cattle feces 4.6%. On the basis of the current official standard which was revised on March 2010, 11 composts out of surveyed 76 ones did not meet the LQS due to inadequate content of water (5), OM/N (1), NaCl (2) and Zn (3). The satisfaction rate to LQS by manufacturers was 100% in the composts produced by farmer's cooperative societies, 80.7% by civil factories, and 44.4% by farming guilds, respectively. The OM/N declined by adding chicken feces and oil cake, while Ca content was increased by the addition of chicken feces and NaCl was increased by adding cattle feces.