Cow Manure Compost Research Articles

Organic Nitrogen Nutrition Does Not Increase Glucosinolate Concentrations in Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica)

Concentrations of specific secondary metabolites can be higher in organically grown crops. This may be linked to organic nitrogen (N) nutrition that provides a gradual supply of N to crops over the growing season. This study examined whether organic N nutrition influenced the concentration of glucosinolates in broccoli crops. Nitrogen release patterns were determined from three synthetic (Rustica, 12% N; calcium nitrate, 15.5% N; urea, 46% N) and two organic fertilizers in an incubation experiment. Broccoli seedlings were then grown in two N dose response pot trials with different N source or application timing treatments to investigate growth and glucosinolate responses. Synthetic fertilizers released 84 to 89% of total N after 28 days, while chicken manure pellets and composted cow manure had only released 52% and 13% of total N, respectively, after 91 days. Broccoli yield and N content were generally higher in synthetic fertilizer treatments. Glucosinolate concentrations were generally higher in the synthetic fertilizer treatments, and only sinigrin and glucoiberin concentrations in the 800 kg ha−1 N application rate of organic fertilizer matched those in the corresponding synthetic fertilizer treatment. Broccoli head weight was reduced when N was applied fortnightly compared to basal and weekly N applications, but glucosinolate concentrations were not significantly different. Overall, there was no evidence that organic (chicken manure) N nutrition, or the rate of N supply to broccoli plants, affect glucosinolate concentrations.

The Effect Of Soil Treatment With Cow Manure Compost And Foliar Magnesium On Plant Growth Of Black Diyala Fig Ficus Carica L. Seedlings

The research was conducted at the research station affiliated with the Faculty of Agriculture / University of Kufa in the university city in the Najaf Governorate for the period from 1 March to 1 December 2023 to study the effect of organic fertilization with cow manure compost and foliar spraying with magnesium and their interactions on some vegetative traits of black Diyala fig seedlings. The foliar magnesium was used at four concentrations (0, 0.5, 1 or 1.5) gm L-1, and the ground addition of organic fertilizer (cow manure) was also applied at four levels (0, 5, 10 or 15) g pot-1, and their interactions. The results showed that black Diyala fig seedlings treated with cow manure compost recorded significant effect on the studied traits, as cow manure compost at 15 g pot-1 resulted in the highest increase of seedlings height 21.37 cm, stem diameter 2.07 mm, number of branches 3.30 seedling branch-1, number Leaves 10.03 leaf plant -1, and leaf area 2448.25 cm2 seedling-1. Spraying fig seedlings of the Black Diyala variety with magnesium at a concentration of 1.5 gm l-1 excelled in the amount of increase in seedling height 15.98 cm, stem diameter 1.82 mm, number of branches 3.23 seedling branch-1, and number of leaves. 10.36 plant leaves-1, average leaf area is 1899.50 cm2 seedling-1. However, best results were recorded in the interaction of foliar magnesium at 1.5 gm L-1 and organic fertilizer at 15 g pot-1 with significantly the highest increase in plant height 25.56 cm and stem diameter 2.28 mm, the number of branches is 5.28 branches, seedling-1, the number of leaves is 15.00 leaves-1, the average leaf area is 3030.00 cm2, seedling-1.

Effect of Biochar on Composting of Cow Manure and Kitchen Waste

Composting is a common method for managing organic waste and creating nutrient-rich soil amendments. Recently, biochar, a carbon-rich material from biomass pyrolysis, has been noted for potentially improving composting. This study examines the impact of adding biochar to compost made from cow manure and kitchen waste through a controlled lab experiment. The treatments were labeled as CMX (cow manure), KWX (kitchen waste), and CMKWX (both) with X being the percentage of CM, KW, and CMKW minus that of biochar in the mixture. Key parameters such as temperature (T), pH, and electric conductivity (EC) were tracked during the composting processes, and the final composts were analyzed for total nitrogen (N), available nitrogen (AN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), total potassium (TK), organic carbon (OC), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and organic matter (OM). The results showed that adding less than 10% biochar influenced composting positively. Specifically, 5% biochar amendment led to higher thermophilic temperatures (45–57 °C) and stable pH levels (6.3–8.7) compared to controls. However, biochar did not significantly enhance EC, which peaked at 1.78 dS/m in both the control and 5% biochar treatments. Nutrient analysis revealed that biochar increased Ca2+ (13.62 meq/g) and Mg2+ (5.73 meq/g) retention in CM composts (CM85 and CM100). The highest OM content was 16.84% in CM90, while the lowest was 3.81% in CM95. Higher OM negatively affected TN, with CM treatments having more OM and KW treatments having more TN. TP and TK were higher in control treatments without biochar. This study highlights the benefits of integrating biochar with organic waste for enhancing compost nutrient profiles and soil fertility. It was observed that the more diverse the compost feedstock, i.e., CMKW, the higher the nutrient content for treatments containing less than 10% biochar.

Growth of cocoa seedlings (Theobroma cacao L.) in application of cow manure compost and density of Bacillus subtilis bacteria

Cocoa rejuvenation is important to maintain high productivity. The rejuvenation mainly uses seedlings; thus providing high-quality seedlings is important. This research aimed to determine the effect of various doses of cow manure compost and the density of Bacillus subtilis bacteria on the growth of cocoa seedlings. The research was implemented at the Teaching Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Makassar City, from 2021 to 2022. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The main plot was the dose of cow manure (without compost, 1.25 kg per polybag, and 2.5 kg per polybag). The subplot was the density of Bacillus subtilis (without bacteria, 104 CFU.mL-1, 108 CFU.mL-1, and 1012 CFU.mL-1). The results showed an interaction between the dose of cow manure 2.5 kg per polybag and the bacterial density 1012 CFU.mL-1 on chlorophyll a (347.91 mol.m-2), chlorophyll b (158.33 mol.m-2), total chlorophyll (444.57 mol.m-2), and leaf area of cocoa seedlings (813.96 cm2). A compost dose of 2.5 kg per polybag showed the best results for plant height (8.98 cm). Keywords: bacteria density; bivariate correlation; chlorophyll content; manure dose; organic fertilizer

Composted cow manure application on growth and yield of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

Composted cow manure application on growth and yield of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

High surface area inorganic minerals show promise in protecting carbon from soil organic amendments

Protecting soil organic compounds could assist with global efforts to mitigate climate change, as well as improve soil health. Recent research has indicated that high surface area inorganic minerals (HSAIMs) can protect soil organic matter (OM). We evaluated if adding HSAIMs to soils can protect carbon from common organic inputs added to fallow soils prior to planting. Four added HSAIMs were investigated – two manufactured zeolites, one natural zeolite and bentonite clay – along with a carbon-rich (peat moss) and carbon-poor (composted cow manure) OM source. The added HSAIMs and organic sources were incorporated into a microbially active (clayey Vertisol) and inactive (sandy Arenosol) soil at application rates of 20 tonnes.ha–1 for the minerals and 60 tonnes.ha–1 for the organics. The treatments were incubated for three months under laboratory conditions and were subjected to continuous wetting-drying cycles. Peat moss resulted in higher organic carbon (Corg) and OM losses than cow manure. Moreover, the addition of HSAIMs to the Peat Moss+Arenosol treatments appeared to slightly enhance these losses, albeit not significantly (p>0.05). Carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios revealed that the Arenosol treatments were depleting soil N to access the carbon provided by the peat moss. For all other treatment combinations, the addition of HSAIMs promoted greater retention of Corg (p<0.05 in one treatment combination) and OM (p<0.05 in four treatment combinations), relative to the controls. Modelling carbon balances using OM data was more effective than using direct Corg values, due to strong Corg measurement variance. Modelled Corg data revealed the added HSAIMs achieved up to 25 % carbon protection, with the manufactured zeolites particularly effective. The study shows promise for added HSAIMs to protect carbon released from decomposing organic amendments added to fallow soils. However, addition of these minerals to N-limited soils receiving carbon-rich amendments might accelerate carbon losses.

New management systems for northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla Chitwood Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) in daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) ornamental plant production fields

Michigan has the third largest floriculture industry in the United States, with the production of daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) a top commodity. Daylily is one of the most economically important ornamental plants, yet their production is plagued by plant-parasitic nematodes, especially the northern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne hapla. Seven treatments in combination with a high-carbon, cow manure compost were selected for a three-year field trial at a commercial nursery in Zeeland, MI to discern the best M. hapla management strategies in daylily field production for its entire production cycle. Treatments included the compost manure by itself, Indemnify as a soil drench and as a pre-plant dip both together and separately, AzaGuard, TerraClean 5.0, and an untreated control. Additionally, a similar multi-year greenhouse trial was conducted and included a new treatment: Majestene 304. Results showed that the high-carbon, cow manure compost + Indemnify as a soil drench by itself and in combination as a pre-plant dip were the most effective treatments in reducing M. hapla population levels; in the greenhouse experiment, Indemnify reduced population levels by 83%. Majestene 304 provided the next best control of M. hapla, yet it had the highest gall ratings; the compost by itself was not effective, having higher M. hapla populations than the control in both experiments. Lastly, both trials emphasize the importance of applying these management strategies every year for the best M. hapla management. These results give the ornamental plant industry new, effective management systems to control M. hapla in ornamental plant field production.

Enhancement of microbial community dynamics and metabolism in compost through ammonifying cultures inoculation

The efficient use of livestock and poultry manure waste has become a global challenge, with microorganisms playing an important role. To investigate the impact of novel ammonifying microorganism cultures (NAMC) on microbial community dynamics and carbon and nitrogen metabolism, five treatments [5% (v/w) sterilized distilled water, Amm-1, Amm-2, Amm-3, and Amm-4] were applied to cow manure compost. Inoculation with NAMC improved the structure of bacterial and fungal communities, enriched the populations of the functional microorganisms, enhanced the role of specific microorganisms, and promoted the formation of tight modularity within the microbial network. Further functional predictions indicated a significant increase in both carbon metabolism (CMB) and nitrogen metabolism (NMB). During the thermophilic phase, inoculated NAMC treatments boosted carbon metabolism annotation by 10.55%–33.87% and nitrogen metabolism annotation by 26.69%–63.11. Structural equation modeling supported the NAMC-mediated enhancement of NMB and CMB. In conclusion, NAMC inoculation, particularly with Amm-4, enhanced the synergistic interaction between bacteria and fungi. This collaboration promoted enzymatic catabolic and synthetic processes, resultng in positive feedback loops with the endogenous microbial community. Understanding these mechanisms not only unravels how ammonifying microorganisms influence microbial communities but also paves the way for the development of the composting industry and global waste management practices.

Use of Azolla in organic farming on availability and uptake of N, P, K of rice paddy (Oryza Sativa, L.)

Organic fertilization is very important to maintain sustainable land and environmental productivity. Organic fertilizer from Azolla has the advantage of increasing soil fertility by increasing nutrient availability. This study aimed to determine the effect of Azolla application on the availability and uptake of N, P, and K of Inpari 32 variety rice plants. This research used 9 treatments: (T0= control, T1= 90 kg/h NPK, T2= 45 kg/h NPK, T3= 10 t/h Manure, T4= 2 t/h Manure + 90 kg/h NPK, T5= 10 t/h Rice straw compost, T6= 2 t/h Rice straw compost + 90 kg/h NPK, T7= 10 t/h Azolla, T8= 2 t/h Azolla + 90 kg/h NPK) with as control and 3 replications, so there were 27 experimental plots. This research was located in the paddy field of Madiun Regency, East Java. The results showed that Azolla, manure, and straw compost at a dose of 10 t/ha increased soil C-organic, soil Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), and soil pH, which was still in the neutral range. Azolla fertilizer increased the highest soil total N compared to cow manure and straw compost and increased the efficiency of NPK fertilizer use. Azolla (T7) increased soil available P (27.02 ppm) and exchangeable K (17.63 me/100g soil). Azolla had the highest available P effect. Azolla (T7) and manure (T4) were affected by increasing K-exchange. Azolla fertilizer, manure, and rice straw compost increased vegetative plant growth (plant height, number of tillers, shoot and root biomass). Among the three, Azolla fertilizer had the highest effect. Organic fertilization affected N, P, and K uptake, which was highest in Azola fertilizer (T7). For manure, varied NPK fertilizer (T4) just showed an increase in P uptake, and compost fertilizer varied NPK fertilizer (T6) showed a rise in K uptake. A positive relationship existed between the availability and uptake of nutrients N, P, and K.

Microbial community succession of cow manure and tobacco straw composting

Composting livestock manure using microorganisms is a safe and resourceful practice. The continual fluctuations in physicochemical parameters during composting are intricately linked to the composition of microbial communities. This study investigated the dynamics of microbial communities during the composting of cow manure and tobacco straw using amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics. The sequencing results revealed major genera such as Sphaerobacter, Actinomadura, Thermomonospora, Flavobacterium, Bacillus, Hydrogenophaga, Pseudomonas, Lysinibacillus, Aneurinibacillus, and Azotobacter. Metagenomic analysis highlighted that the phylum Proteobacteria constituted the largest proportion. Furthermore, the presence of the genus Rhodococcus, known to cause human and animal diseases, gradually decreased over time. These findings offer initial insights into the microbial community composition and function during cow manure and tobacco straw composting.

Application of Organic Matter to Shallots Crop (Allium ascalonicum L.)

The shallot crop (Allium ascalanicum L.) is one of the plants that has increased yearly, but as the community grows, consumption increases as well. This study aims to determine the effect of using different varieties and several types of animal manure compost. This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) arranged with two treatments and three replications. The first factor is the variety, which includes V1 (Thai), V2 (Bauji), and V3 (Bima), while the second factor is the type of compost, which includes J1 (goat manure compost), J2 (cow manure compost), and J3 (chicken manure compost). The research shows that there is an interaction between the fresh weight of bulbs per plant, the fresh weight of bulbs per plot, and the fresh weight of bulbs per hectare. The type of compost had no significant effect on the plant height, number of leaves, diameter of the bulb, dry weight of bulbs per plant, dry weight of bulbs per plot, and dry weight of bulbs per hectare. Treatment V1J1 (Thai varieties and goat manure compost) was the best treatment combination.

Recycling potassium from cow manure compost can replace potassium fertilizers in paddy rice production systems

The prevalence of K deficiency and negative K balance in rice production increases the demand for K fertilizer. However, the primary source of K fertilizer, potash rock, is limited. Recycling K from cow manure compost (CMC) is a sustainable solution. Nevertheless, the effects of substituting K fertilizer with CMC on rice yield, soil K fertility, and partial K balance (PKB) are not well understood. Therefore, a field experiment with four treatments (control - unfertilized, MNP K - CMC plus NPK fertilizer, MNP ½ K - CMC plus NP and 50 % K fertilizer, and MNP - CMC plus NP fertilizer) was conducted from 2020 to 2022 to study the effects of replacing K fertilizer with K from CMC on rice growth, yield, plant K uptake, soil K fertility, and PKB. The results indicated that K input from CMC exceeded the recommended K fertilizer level, sufficient for optimal rice growth and yield over three growing seasons and plant K uptake in the last two seasons. Plant K uptake increased with total K input and reached a plateau when total K input approached the maximum plant K uptake. In the MNP treatment, PKB was negative in the first two seasons but became positive in the last season, owing to the equivalence between K input from CMC and plant K uptake. Key factors influencing PKB in this treatment were K input from CMC and plant K uptake. Increasing the CMC application rate during the first two seasons could lead to a positive PKB. In this treatment, soil exchangeable K changed correspondingly with PKB, decreasing in the first two seasons but increasing in the last season. Overall, determining the appropriate amount of CMC application for a positive PKB is vital for the sustainability of substituting K fertilizer with K from CMC in paddy rice systems.

Analysis of Melon Growth Due to Application of Silver Black Plastic Mulch and Cow Manure Compost

Melon is a short-lived dicot, that growing up on the ground or on bamboo stakes. Vegetative growth and melon production rate are influenced by internal and external factors. Research has been carried out on the analysis of melon growth due to the application of silver black plastic mulch and cow manure compost in 2023. This study aims to analyze the effect of application of silver black plastic mulch on melon growth; application of cow manure compost on melon growth; interaction of application of silver black plastic mulch and cow manure compost on melon growth. The study was designed in two factors, namely the application of silver black plastic mulch as the first factor and the dosage of cow manure compost as the second factor. The results of the study were: there was an increase in plant height, number of leaves, leaf length and width of melon leaves due to application of silver black plastic mulch; there was an increase in plant height, number of leaves, length of melon leaves due to application of cow manure compost, but the application cow manure compost did not increase the length of melon leaves; there was no increase in all growth parameters measured due to the interaction of silver black plastic mulch and cow manure compost application

Effect of simplified inoculum agent on performance and microbiome during cow manure-composting at industrial-scale

A simplified inoculum agent, only comprising Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger, was utilized for industrial-scale cow-manure composting to investigate its impact on composting performance and microbiome. Inoculants elevated the average and peak temperatures by up to 7 and 10 °C, respectively, during the thermophilic stage, reduced organic matter content, and raised germination index. Inoculation also extended the period of composting above 50 °C from 12 to 26 days. Sequencing unveiled significant shifts in microbial diversity, composition, and function. Aspergillus thrived during the mesophilic phase, potentially initiating composting, whereas Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, and Clostridium were enriched during the thermophilic stage. Metagenomic sequencing revealed an increased abundance of carbohydrate-active enzymes and glycometabolism-related genes responsible for lignocellulose degradation and heat generation after inoculation. These enriched microbes and functional genes contributed to organic matter degradation and temperature maintenance during thermophilic stage, expediting composting. This suggests the effectiveness of this simplified inoculum in industrial-level cow-manure composting.

Soil decreases N2O emission and increases TN content during combined composting of wheat straw and cow manure by inhibiting denitrification

Nitrogen loss is a significant factor limiting the quality of compost products. This work examined the composting of cattle manure and wheat straw in combination with soil quantifying composting performance, microbial communities and nitrogen metabolism. Compost combined with lou soil (LS), gray desert soil (GDS) and acidic purple soil (APS) had increased in total nitrogen content of 74.4, 39.0 and 48.1 %, respectively, surpassing the control (CK) by at least 24.5 %. In comparison to CK (207 mg/kg), the LS, GDS and APS treatments had N2O emissions lowered by 15.7, 13.2 and 3.5 %, respectively. These results show that LS and GDS additions can effectively lower greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen loss. The addition of these soils also enriched specific ammonification bacteria, thereby facilitating nitrogen metabolism throughout the composting process. With LS, the relative abundances of ammonification bacteria, such as Corynebacterium and Ureibacillus, increased by 156 and 141 %, respectively, whereas with GDS, the increases were 108 and 133 %, respectively. Also, the addition of LS and GDS decreased nitrogen loss during composting by increasing the enrichment of nitrification genes and decreasing the enrichment of denitrification genes (norB and norC) to a certain extent. This work provides a novel, cost-effective and sustainable technique for enhancing composting, as well as valuable insights into the critical function of different soil-mediation in reducing nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas emissions during composting.

Effects of biochar and volcanic rock addition on humification and microbial community during aerobic composting of cow manure

Additives are important for accelerating humification during aerobic composting. The impacts of porous additives biochar and volcanic rock on the physicochemical parameters, maturity indicators, microbial communities, and bacterial functional metabolism during the aerobic composting of cow manure were investigated in this study. The results showed that the biochar addition decreased the E4/E6 value by 10.42% and increased the abundance of Geobacillus (1.69 times), and volcanic rock addition decreased the E4/E6 value by 11.31% and increased the abundance of Thermobacillus (1.29 times) and Paenibacillus (1.72 times). The network analysis demonstrated that biochar promoted maturity by reducing the abundance of Pseudomonas and increasing the abundance of genes related to the metabolism of other amino acids, while volcanic rock promoted maturity by reducing the abundance of genes related to nucleotide metabolism. These results provided data and theoretical justification for the selection of porous additives for composting.

Recycling of gas-to-liquid sludge as a potential organic amendment: Effect on soil and cotton properties under hyperarid conditions

Gas-to-liquid (GTL) sludge is a specific wastewater treatment by-product, which is generated during the industrial process of natural gas conversion to transportation fuels. This least studied sludge is pathogen-free and rich in organic carbon and plant nutrients. Therefore, it can be reused for soil enhancement as a sustainable management strategy to mitigate landfill gas emissions. In this field study, we compared the performance of soil treatments with GTL sludge to the more conventional chemical fertilizers and cow manure compost for the cultivation of cotton under hyperarid conditions. After a complete growing season, GTL sludge application resulted in the enhancement of soil properties and plant growth compared to conventional inputs. As such, there was a significant dose-dependent increase of soil organic matter (4.01% and 4.54%), phosphorus (534 and 1090 mg kg−1), and cumulative lint yield (4.68 and 5.67 t ha−1) for GTL sludge application rates of 1.5% and 3%, respectively. The produced fiber quality was adequate for an upland cotton variety (Gossypium hirsutum var. MAY 344) and appeared more dependent on the prevailing climate conditions than soil treatments. On the other hand, the adverse effects generally related to industrial sludge reuse were not significant and did not affect the designed agro-environmental system. Accordingly, plants grown on GTL sludge-amended soils showed lower antioxidant activity despite significant salinity increase. In addition, the concentrations of detected heavy metals in soil were within the standards’ limits, which did not pose environmental issues under the described experimental conditions. Leachate analysis revealed no risks for groundwater contamination with phytotoxic metals, which were mostly retained by the soil matrix. Therefore, recycling GTL sludge as an organic amendment can be a sustainable solution to improve soil quality and lower carbon footprint. To reduce any environmental concerns, an application rate of 1.5% could be provisionally recommended since a two-fold increase in sludge dose did not result in a significant yield improvement.

Utilization of post-tin mining land for porang (Amorphaphillus oncophyllus) cultivation by application of cow manure compost

Tailing post-tin mining land has a sandy textured and loose structure. Those physical properties can affect the efficiency of fertilization and cause inefficiency of nutrient absorption in plants. That issue can be corrected by the application of organic material such as cow manure compost which has the potential for plant cultivation, especially for “porang” (&lt;em&gt;Amorphaphillus oncophyllus&lt;/em&gt; Prain). This study aimed to examine the cultivation of porang plants in post-tin mining tailings by applying cow manure compost and to determine the best dose of cow manure compost for porang cultivation in artificial ex-tin mining land. This study used a single-group randomized design method with the treatment factor being the dose of cow manure compost consisting of five dose levels (5 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, 10 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, 15 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, 20 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, and 25 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;). Each treatment level was replicated with five replications, and each replication consisted of five populations so the total population was 125 plants. The results showed that the application of various doses of cow manure compost to artificial post-tin mining land affected the growth and yield of porang plants. The treatment of cow manure compost at a dose of 25 t ha&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; gave the best growth and yield of porang plants. Heavy metal (Pb) analysis on porang tubers showed that all doses of cow manure compost had a Pb content value of &amp;lt;0.059%, which means that cow manure compost can reduce heavy metal uptake in porang tubers. Porang planted in artificial post-tin mining land is safe for consumption because lead (Pb) content was below the threshold of Indonesia National Standard (SNI) for food.

Development and Evaluation of Cow Dung Composting Equipment with Ventilation and Heating

Traditional cow manure composting equipment often lacks ventilation, heating, and real-time monitoring and adjustment capabilities, hindering manure maturation and proper utilization of compost, moisture reduction, and optimal environmental conditions for microbial activity. To address these limitations, we optimized and redesigned the structure and control elements of conventional composting equipment. In doing so, we developed a novel cow manure composting apparatus based on the target composting quantity method. The new design features a refined ventilation and heating structure, as well as an enhanced control system using PLC and MCGS. This equipment provides improved composting effects while offering real-time monitoring of composting data, effectively promoting the composting process. Further evaluation of the modified equipment was conducted using fermented cow dung, demonstrating its feasibility. The experiment yielded positive results, indicating that the composted cow manure satisfied all necessary standards across all evaluation parameters. These parameters included the moisture content of the compost, the duration of high temperature, the pH, and the seed germination index. The seed germination rate reaches 85%, and the water content of manure is 9.3%, which is much higher than the industry standard.

VARIABILITAS KANDUNGAN C-ORGANIK PADA TANAH ULTISOL YANG DIBERI BERBAGAI JENIS BAHAN ORGANIK UNTUK PERTUMBUHAN TANAMAN SAWI

Ultisol is a potential acid mineral soil for the development of agricultural crops with an area of 45.8 million hectares, but has problems of soil acidity, low content of C-Organic, nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, but this can be overcome by applying fertilizers. This study aims to determine the effect of various types of organic matter on C-Organic and the growth of mustard greens. This research was conducted on Field II of the Faculty of Agriculture, and sample analysis was carried out at UPT. Halu Oleo University Integrated Laboratory.The study used a randomized block design (RBD) consisting of 9 treatments, namely TB = without organic matter, SI = cow manure 75 g polybag-1, SII = cow manure 150 g polybag-1, AI = chicken manure 75 g polybag -1, AII = chicken manure 150 g polybag-1 , KI = goat manure 75 g polybag-1 , KII = goat manure 150 g polybag-1 , HI = compost vegetation komba-komba 75 g polybag-1 , HII = komba-komba vegetation compost 150 g polybag-1.The results showed that the provision of various types of organic matter was 0.62%. As for the results after administration of various types of organic matter with various concentrations continued to decrease successively in the treatment TB, SI, SII, AI, AII, KI, KII, HI, namely 0.26%, 0.28%, 0, 32%, 0.34%, 0.40%, 0.52%, 0.54%, 0.60%, and after that there was an increase in the HII treatment, 0.78%, with a dose of 150 grams. Application of cow manure, chicken coop, goat coop, and komba-komba vegetation compost had an effect on the height of the mustard plants. Keywords : C-Organic, Mustard Plant, Ultisol.